JASON WALSH

READING MAN JAILED FOR ILLEGAL DOG BREEDING AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

A man and a woman have been sentenced to 22 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to unlicensed dog breeding and animal cruelty.

Sonia Black from Banbury and Jason Walsh from Reading were given their sentences suspended for 12 months, during which they are required to perform 100 hours of unpaid work.

The pair, who operated a so-called illegal business breeding and selling dogs in Banbury, were also fined £4,154 each and banned from keeping dogs, as determined in a hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on Friday.

It was revealed that Black and Walsh had bred and sold at least 116 puppies illegally between January 2019 and August 2024.

In a specific incident, a Doberman puppy they cared for was in labor, but they did not seek veterinary assistance for over 12 hours, resulting in the stillbirth of one puppy and unnecessary suffering for the mother.

The case was investigated by Cherwell District Council, with Councillor Rob Parkinson emphasizing that unlicensed dog breeders and sellers have no place in the community.

He stated, "This case is horrendous and highlights the devastating consequences of people illegally breeding dogs.

Unlicensed breeders and premises are not inspected and therefore not regulated to the standards required by the Animal Welfare Act.

Not meeting such standards can put pets and people at risk of harm and, consequently, purchasers at risk of emotional distress and financial harm.

I would like to thank our licensing team for successfully shutting down this operation and preventing any other dogs from coming to harm at the hands of the two defendants."