Carrickfergus man and woman convicted of running an unlicensed breeding establishment
Wednesday 17 July 2024
James Tracey and Angelica Evangelista, formerly of Broadlands Gardens Carrickfergus, were sentenced at Laganside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 2 July.
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Ms Evangelista pleaded guilty to five counts of running a breeding establishment with no licence and Mr James Tracey was convicted in his absence. The charges were brought against both individuals by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council under The Welfare of Animals (Dog Breeding Establishment and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (NI) 2013.
Proceedings followed an investigation by an Enforcement Officer who visited the address in Broadlands Gardens, Carrickfergus, in June 2022 following a report that puppies were being sold from the premises. A total of 16 unlicensed dogs were present at the property. They included three 8-week-old Blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies and four 7-month-old blue Staffordshire Bull Terriers. All the remaining dogs were females.
Enforcement Officers were able to connect this property to a Facebook page “A & J Dream Puppies” which showed that at least 5 litters had been advertised and supplied in a year - which is a breach of The Welfare of Animals (Dog Breeding Establishment and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (NI) 2013.
On 2 July 2024 the District Judge sentenced both individuals - Ms Evangelista was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £23 in summons fees and £250 in legal costs. Mr James Tracey did not appear and was fined a total of £1000 for 5 offences and ordered to pay £23 in summons fees and £250 in legal costs.
Commenting on the case a Spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said:
“Council welcomes these convictions and would take this opportunity to raise public awareness in order to deter and disrupt the illegal breeding and sale of pups. We ask members of the public to act responsibly when considering the purchase of any pet as well as how they are looked after. DAERA has developed a useful leaflet entitled "Buying and caring for a puppy" which can be downloaded free of charge from either the Council's website or the DAERA website.