Author: Jasmine Kleine

Lancashire breeder and dealer who sold sick puppies disqualified from keeping animals for five years

A Lancashire puppy farmer – who bred and sold hundreds of puppies, making tens of thousands of pounds – has been handed a suspended sentence and disqualified from keeping animals for a string of animal welfare offences.

Robert Fishwick (DoB: 23/10/72) of Burton Lane, Broughton, appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court today (Friday 13 October) for sentencing having pleaded guilty to five offences under the Animal Welfare Act when he appeared at the same court on Wednesday (11 October).

He was today sentenced to a 17-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and a 12-month supervision order. He was also disqualified from keeping animals for five years.

The RSPCA launched an investigation into the puppy dealer after a number of complaints from his customers reporting sick puppies.

RSPCA inspector Carl Larsson, who led the investigation, said: “We had a number of complaints about this individual and address in 2016 and began gathering evidence.

“Then, when more complaints came through in March, we were able to go to police and request a warrant.”

RSPCA officers joined Lancashire Police as they executed a warrant at the address in Broughton, Preston, on 30 March. While there were no puppies present on the day, they found 13 adult dogs being kept in unsuitable conditions.

“There weren’t any puppies there on the day we went in but we found 13 dogs of different ages and genders being kept at the site. We suspect these are the dogs he used for breeding,” inspector Larsson added.

“All the dogs were being kept in filthy, damp conditions – some in makeshift, muddy outside runs and others in cold, concrete pens inside outbuildings.

“Several of the dogs were considerably underweight with their ribs clearly visible while others had serious health problems such as skin conditions and ear infections.

“We also found paperwork at the property which showed the scale of Mr Fishwick’s puppy-selling operation. Just one receipt book which was seized detailed sales covering a period of four months and totalling more than £50,000 meaning he was making around £12,000 a month from selling dogs.”

Receipts also showed he was selling puppies for an average of £500 each – with some breeds selling for up to £900.

All 13 dogs – a mixture of breeds including French bulldogs, German shepherds and Rottweilers – were seized by police, removed from the address and placed into RSPCA care. The dogs were all then signed over.

Sadly, two French bulldogs and one German shepherd had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice as they had chronic health problems which were not responding to treatment. The other dogs were all treated for health problems and assessed before being put up for rehoming.

Chris Packham and Ricky Gervais are leading celebrity signatures on an Open Letter to animal experimenter Prof. Colin Blakemore – infamous for sewing kitten’s eyes shut and Britain’s main advocate for experiments on dogs and other animals.

The Open Letter (published today) focuses on Prof. Blakemore’s support for the mass breeding of laboratory Beagle puppies, at ‘B&K Universal’ in Yorkshire. The letter calls for Prof. Blakemore to agree to debate his views in a rigorous public science hearing, overseen by independent scientific experts who will judge his claims: that results from animal experiments are able to predict the responses of human patients, in medical research and testing.

The Open letter draws attention to current scientific evidence which proves that Prof. Blakemore’s claims about animal testing are now exposed as false. Up-to-date medical facts confirm that results from animal experiments are now proven to fail the search for human treatments and cures – a position reported by pharmaceutical companies and The British Medical Journal in its Editor’s Choice, June 2014.

Editor’s note: We were contacted by the lobbying organisation called Understanding Animal Research who wanted to state that Prof Blakemore has not conducted experiments on puppies. We asked if Prof Blakemore had any specific objections to puppy related experiments, given his well publicised procedure of sewing shut kitten eyes, and were told:

“I do not believe he has any objection to the use of dogs in research (he wrote the letter of support for B&K to breed dogs). To the best of my understanding, some of his former research involved anaesthetising kittens and then sewing their eyelids shut in order to understand the development of the brain. The reason they were sewn, rather than patched, is that a patch is shown to be much more distressing for the animal, which will try and claw it off. ”

Michael Mansfield QC, Britain’s leading human rights defence barrister, has endorsed the science hearing’s debate conditions as “well set out and fair”.

Chris Packham says

“I am delighted to be adding my name to an Open Letter to Prof. Colin Blakemore, and hope very much that he will agree to participate in its vital call for a rigorous public scientific debate.

Historically speaking, experiments on animals were first institutionalised in 1847, by a doctor who went on to reject the Theory of Evolution. With today’s scientific expertise, we now understand that even human identical twins do not always predict biological responses for each other – such is our detailed level of knowledge about genetics, and the unique genetic profile of each individual patient. Add this to our present-day understanding of the roles evolutionary biology and complexity science play in medical research, and we have evidence which exposes the fallacy of continuing to claim that experiments on dogs, and other animals, are a viable scientific practice for human patients.

Our letter to Prof. Blakemore represents a vital call for fair and open public scientific debate, so that decision makers can be informed by highly qualified experts – outside those with a vested interest”.

Downton Abbey star, and Patron of For Life On Earth, Peter Egan says:

“It is time to raise national awareness about the shocking reality of state-sponsored cruelty to dogs, happening right here on our doorstep, in the UK. Ruling against years of informed local planning decisions, the Government has now granted permission for Hull-based laboratory animal breeders ‘B&K Universal’ to breed around 2,000 Beagles annually – for cruel medical testing experiments that are also now proven to fail human patients, in the search for effective treatments and cures.

With those still holding a vested interest in selling the 19th century practice of animal testing to society, under their false promise of medical progress, our Open Letter calls for a fair and rigorous public scientific debate, that stands to save millions of laboratory animals and human patients alike. The outcome of this debate – determined by up-to-date scientific knowledge – with its vital effect on the lives of so many, quite simply cannot happen soon enough.

Ricky Gervais says:

“Watching Colin Blakemore narrating a film about his light deprivation experiments on kittens, kept in total darkness from birth, is chilling. I’m delighted to be signing an Open Letter calling for Prof. Blakemore to face the world’s leading medical opposition to such experiments, in a public science hearing judged by independent experts. I want people to be able to understand how these shocking experiments, on beautiful cats, are now proven to also fail humans”.

Over 100 cross-party MPs have signed EDMs calling for this historic hearing, including Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Greg Knight, Caroline Lucas and Sammy Wilson.

Life-saving cutting edge Non-Animal Techniques (NATs) are available and have a human-relevant track record of success. According to medical experts – working outside the animal-based research sector – the continued finance of worthless animal experiments starve NATs of vital funding, preventing their essential role in the discovery of effective treatments and cures.

The Open Letter

A veterinary charity is encouraging owners to take early action to help their nervous pets cope with the oncoming onslaught of loud bangs caused by the UK’s ever lengthening firework season.

Research by PDSA has revealed that the owners of a staggering eight million dogs and cats report that their pets are afraid of fireworks with more than a thousand pets being seen at its pet hospitals in the last 12 months for fireworks-related issues such as phobias and injuries.

PDSA Senior Vet, Sean Wensley, explained: “The PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report found that around 40% of UK owners of cats and dogs report that their pet is afraid of fireworks, and anyone who has seen their pet go through this misery knows how serious their anxiety and fear of firework sounds can be. Many shake and tremble, are unable to settle, toilet in the house, destroy furniture, and can even cause themselves physical injury if they panic, try to escape or run away.”

To help pet owners reduce their pets’ fears, the charity is urging people to take action early. Thanks to funding from the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, PDSA’s expert vets have produced a step-by-step Fireworks Ready guide for owners to help them prepare their pets. Go to pdsa.org.uk/fireworksready

Sean continued: “For young pets, careful management of their first experience of fireworks can prevent these fears from developing in the first place. For older pets who are already suffering, reward-based behaviour techniques can be very effective. Both of these approaches take time and patience, so it’s important to start early; in puppy or kittenhood for young pets, and well before fireworks season for older ones.”

PDSA’s Fireworks Ready action plan takes owners through the process of preparing pets for fireworks season, use of pheromones and sound CDs, how to build a noise-reducing fireworks den for pets, plus a checklist for the day itself.

PDSA hopes to help pets like Zakk, who ended up with severe but unexplained injuries to his legs and paws after he was spooked by fireworks. His owner had let him out into their garden when a neighbour suddenly set off fireworks – Zakk panicked and jumped over the gate. He was eventually found the next day covered in blood caused by nasty cuts to his paws. He was taken to a PDSA Pet Hospital where his wounds were treated, but it took a month for them to heal.

Sean commented: “We don’t know exactly what caused Zakk’s injuries – he could have been hit by a car, or cut himself on something as he panicked. But his story highlights how important it is to be aware of the significance of firework phobia for pets and to know that help is available from your local veterinary practice.”

Firework Advice For Nervous Pets

If you own a young puppy or kitten who will be having their first experience of fireworks, read up on the process of socialisation. This is when young pets are gradually introduced to various people, objects, sounds and experiences during their first few months, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of fears developing in later life.

If you have an older pet who already shows signs of fireworks phobia, using a CD for noise-phobic pets to gradually get them used to the sounds of fireworks may help. Build up the volume and duration very gradually over a period of weeks, and ensure you remain calm and relaxed whenever you play the sounds, so your pet learns there is nothing to be afraid of.

Build a ‘fireworks den’ for your pet, somewhere they feel safe. For dogs, this may be behind the sofa or under a table – cover it with blankets and line it with pillows or cushions to absorb some of the noise. Cats often feel safest when high up, so a safely secured, covered cat bed on top of a wardrobe or shelf may be their preferred option. Build it a few weeks ahead of fireworks season, and give your pet healthy treats or praise when they use it so they build a positive association, but don’t force them to use it.

Ensure that cats and dogs are microchipped (this is a legal requirement for dogs anyway), so that if they run off in panic, they can be quickly reunited with their owner when found

Use pheromones – these are available as diffusers, which release scents which are undetectable to humans, but have a calming, reassuring effect on our pets. They are available for dogs and cats, and should be used for several weeks leading up to fireworks season.

For severe phobias, we recommend speaking to your vet, who will be able to discuss various options including referral to an accredited behaviourist.

A couple banned from keeping animals were found to be keeping a dog who had become overweight as a result of not being walked – because they were scared of being found out.

Anthony Makin (DOB 16/01/75) and Sally Makin (DOB 01/01/75), of Dale Avenue, Bromborough, were sentenced at Wirral Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday 4 October) after pleading guilty to two offences at a previous hearing – causing unnecessary suffering to the dog by failing to provide veterinary care for lameness, and being in breach of a disqualification order.

The court heard that the couple were originally disqualified from keeping animals in September 2015 after being convicted of an Animal Welfare Act offence.

But in June this year, the RSPCA received a report that the couple had a dog at their home address.

RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes contacted Mr Makin, who admitted that they had a rottweiler called Sky.

Inspector Joynes said: “They admitted they’d had him for seven months, but during that whole time he hadn’t been for a walk because they were scared of being found out. As a result, the dog was drastically overweight and had overgrown claws.

“On top of that, he had problems with his leg, which the Makins had self-diagnosed as arthritis. But when I got him checked out by a vet, it turned out he had a bone tumour on his front right leg – a type which was notoriously painful – and the cancer had actually spread to his lungs.

“Sadly the tumour was inoperable but he was such a lovely dog and we wanted to give him as long as possible, so he was put on pain relief.

“He came into the care of our Wirral branch and, because of his size, we renamed him Maximus. He spent his days behind the reception and he constantly got fuss. He was a favourite with the staff.”

Sadly, a few weeks after arriving in the RSPCA’s care, Maximus took a turn for the worse.

“At that point the vet said it would be kinder to put him to sleep,” said Inspector Joynes. “We were all devastated but we were pleased to have given him a few weeks of plenty of treats and fuss.

“If we hadn’t have intervened then the Makins would have just found him one day collapsed. He would have been in immense pain.”

Magistrates gave Mr and Mrs Makin a 12-month community order, a 20-week curfew, disqualified them from keeping animals for five years and ordered them to pay costs of £250 each and an £85 victim surcharge.

A pet owner saved her puppy’s life after he almost choked to death on a plastic toy – using first aid skills she had learned on a charity course just a week before.

Janice Latreche, from Oldham, says her Springer Spaniel crossbreed Milton is alive today thanks to the training she received during a pet first aid course run by vet charity PDSA.

The 48-year-old was at home when her beloved puppy began choking and gasping for breath.

She said: “Milton had somehow got hold of one of my grandson’s action figure toys and was choking on it.

“I could see that he was struggling to breathe but I didn’t panic and remembered the skills I had learned on the PDSA course. I tried to see if I could pull the toy out from his mouth but I couldn’t, so I used a technique which is like an animal equivalent of the Heimlich manoeuvre – and it just popped out.”

As soon as the toy became dislodged Milton was able to breathe and Janice calmed him down before taking him to her vet for a check-up.

Kylie Jones, PDSA vet nurse who taught Janice, said Milton’s case proved why it was important for people to learn basic pet first aid skills:

“Life-threatening emergencies can occur at any time and require speedy action, so it’s important to know what to do in a situation like this. Many people have a basic understanding of first aid for humans but when it comes to pets, a lot of people wouldn’t know what to do.

“Knowing how to respond in an emergency, and being prepared, can make the difference between life and death.

“That’s why we want to pass on this vital information to pet owners and we’re really grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, as they’re funding a series of Pet First Aid courses across the UK this year.”

Janice, who works as a community engagement officer for housing association New Charter Homes, said: “If I hadn’t done the course I don’t think Milton would have made it as I wouldn’t have known what to do. I’m so grateful to PDSA for everything I’ve learned and I think a pet first aid course is something every pet owner should consider doing.”

PDSA vets say it’s important to be prepared in an emergency and are advising pet owners to keep a ‘pet friendly’ first aid kit at home that can also be used while travelling. Pet owners should also keep their vets’ phone number in their phone contacts to help save valuable time in the event of an emergency.

Kylie added: “Learning CPR for pets can also be beneficial. Speak to your vet for advice on attending a veterinary-led first aid course, to learn how to deliver CPR and other techniques.”

For further advice visit www.pdsa.org.uk/firstaid

Back in May 2009, Jack was a happy, normal six-month old golden Labrador. Only Jack decided late one night that he was going to eat the  entire alphabet.

Jack’s ill advised downing of a multiple fridge magnets in a midnight snack-attack resulted in his being rushed to PDSA’s Plymouth PetAid hospital the day after he’d been in for a castration operation.

Jack’s owner, Emma Keers, said: “After Jack’s surgery, he was sleepy after the anaesthetic so I put him in the kitchen to recover overnight. The next morning I noticed the whole alphabet was missing from the fridge though Jack wasn’t showing any signs of being ill. He can be quite greedy though and I suspected straight away that something was up so took him back to PDSA where x-rays showed he’d eaten something he shouldn’t have!”

The senior veterinary surgeon, Robert Newcombe, at Plymouth PetAid hospital, said: “We had to operate straight away with both a gastrotomy where we opened up his tummy and an enterotomy to remove more pieces of fridge magnets that had made their way to his intestine. The letters were well chewed and not easy to identify and as well as finding around 30 pieces of chewed plastic, he had eaten some white rubbery cloth!”

Jack stayed in for a couple of days to recover and within a week was back to his normal self. Emma said he now sleeps in the utility room well away from the fridge though she admitted she’s not buying any more fridge magnets!