Man sentenced after pleading guilty to animal welfare and puppy breeding offences
Thursday 5 December 2024
Mr Nigel Hunter, Woodside Road, Ballymena, was sentenced at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on 29 November 2024, after previously pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering, failure to ensure the welfare of his animals and operating a breeding dog breeding establishment without a licence.
The charges were brought against Mr Hunter by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.
Proceedings followed an investigation by Council’s Animal Welfare Officer after receiving a report of pups being bred and sold from the property in poor conditions. After initial enquiries, Animal Welfare Officers searched the premises under warrant and found dogs and pups living in unacceptable conditions. A vet attended and certified a large number of pups and dogs as suffering or likely to suffer and they were removed from the address.
Mr Hunter received a sentence of 3 months custody suspended for 2 years on all counts and ordered to pay legal and vet costs of £1710.70
Commenting on the case a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said:
“Council gives high priority to the welfare of domestic pets and horses and operates a rigorous enforcement policy to ensure full compliance of regulatory requirements. Complaints are investigated thoroughly and where necessary formal action is taken - which may include the service of Improvement Notices, or in extreme cases, seizure of animals. The Council may also prosecute for offences such as in this case which I hope serves as a warning to anyone who does not take appropriate care of animals”.