A man who sold puppies without a licence and advertised using a false name has been jailed and banned from trading.
Kevin Knox, who traded as Ivy Leaf Kennels, sold puppies that buyers complained became ill on the day of purchase on three occasions, while not in possession of a pet shop licence.
Two of those sales were made to customers who had responded to adverts placed in the false name of Graham Thompson.
Knox has now been jailed for eight months and given a five-year ban from operating a pet shop, following a prosecution by Durham County Council.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Knox, 59, of The Grove, Burnhope, was a partner in Ivy Leaf at a premises elsewhere in the village, under a pet shop licence, until March 2018.
PET SHOP
The council’s animal health team investigated beyond this date and concluded that the premises was still being run as a pet shop despite a licence no longer being in place.
Evidence was found of Knox advertising on the pet shop’s website and other online sales pages using a false name.
In June of last year, the council received a complaint of a puppy, having been purchased via the Ivy Leaf website, becoming ill on the day of purchase.
Further complaints were received about two more purchases in July 2018, with puppies again becoming ill on the day they were bought.
Knox pleaded guilty to two charges at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court in March for operating without a pet shop licence and giving false information as to his identity.
The sentencing hearing was told how Knox’s licence had been due for renewal in December 2017 and how he had taken until the February of the following year to seek this. However the application was refused last April.
At the time, it had 30 dogs on the premises and the court heard Knox panicked and did not know what to do.
FALSE
Knox chose to sell the remaining puppies without a licence and used a neighbour’s name, although receipts were given in the name of Ivy Leaf.
The judge was told Knox had since lost his business, his house and his wife; broken his ankles and was in receipt of Universal Credit.
Knox was sentenced to four months in prison for the offence of giving false information and one month for not having a pet shop licence, with these to be served at the same time. He was given a further four months in prison for breaching a suspended sentence.
Knox was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and was handed the five-year ban from operating as a pet shop.
