MARGARET DAVIES' CRUEL PUPPY FARM HORROR IN BLAKENEY AND BARRY, SOUTH WALES

Margaret Davies, a woman with a long history of illegal dog breeding, has been at the center of multiple investigations and court proceedings stemming from her operations in Blakeney and later in Barry, South Wales. Born on August 21, 1948, Davies resided at Hagloe House on Awre Road in Blakeney, GL15 4AA, where her alleged puppy farming activities persisted despite her license being revoked.

In January 2015, Davies pleaded guilty to operating a dog breeding establishment without the necessary license. The Forest of Dean District Council had licensed her puppy farm since 2007, allowing her to breed various breeds including pugs, chihuahuas, poodles, and Boston terriers, with approximately 100 breeding bitches and their puppies kept in substandard wooden kennels. However, her application for a new license was refused in March 2014, and her subsequent attempts to continue breeding were met with legal action.

Despite losing her license, Davies continued to breed more than 78 puppies, blatantly disregarding the law and the welfare of her animals. She was fined £300, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, and £1,000 in costs. Additionally, she was disqualified from operating a breeding establishment for three years, a ban that expired in 2018.

Further investigations in December 2021 revealed the extent of her neglect. An order under the Animal Welfare Act was issued against Margaret Davies and her husband, William Robert Davies, born August 1945. Inspectors found two dead puppies among a large number of dogs kept in dark, filthy, overheated, and pest-infested conditions at their residence. The premises, known as Hagloe House in Blakeney, were described as a scene of neglect, with faeces piled in the pens and dogs deprived of adequate daylight and drinking water.

During the inspection, council officers discovered that the dogs were housed in poorly maintained barns and makeshift kennels. One farm shed had been converted into kennels housing two Corgis, three terriers, and a Samoyed, all living amidst a strong, unpleasant smell of urine and faeces. The floors were covered with used bedding and a thin layer of shredded paper, with no proper bedding or access to clean water. The conditions were so dire that the dogs showed signs of neglect, including a bulldog with visible eye problems and others suffering from poor health.

Inspectors also found a second barn with even worse conditions, housing 12 dogs, including French bulldogs, Schnauzers, and terriers, in overcrowded pens with minimal natural light. The area was infested with flies, and the water bowls were contaminated. The entire site was suffering from a lack of pest control and general hygiene, raising serious health concerns. The dogs were seized and signed over to the council’s care, with the magistrates issuing an interim order to prevent the Davies from continuing their puppy farming activities pending a full hearing scheduled for January 2022.

Despite multiple improvement notices issued by the council, the Davies made minimal efforts to comply. The conditions of the dogs deteriorated further, with some kept in metal grilled pens exposed to the elements, living among growing piles of faeces. In the main house, additional dogs were found, including a Corgi with her litter of eight puppies, one of which was unresponsive and later found to be lifeless. The inspectors observed that the animals were housed in unsuitable environments, including a cage in a poorly ventilated room with a heat lamp dangerously hot to the touch, and some puppies suffering from severe health issues, including lifelessness.

Legal proceedings continued into January 2022, when Margaret and William Davies were ordered to pay substantial costs—£19,762.50—covering the care and veterinary expenses for the seized animals. The court heard that the costs included fostering, veterinary bills, and legal expenses, with the couple’s assets, including a valued farm and a retirement bungalow, considered for payment. The magistrates emphasized that the couple’s financial situation was complex, but the costs were deemed proportionate and necessary to address the neglect.

By November 2022, Margaret Davies, now residing in Amhurst Crescent, Barry, South Wales, faced a lifetime ban on keeping dogs after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to multiple pets. She pleaded guilty to failing to seek veterinary treatment for a 14-month-old French bulldog named Winston, who suffered from untreated health issues, and another French bulldog, Amelia, with tumours and blindness. She also admitted to neglecting a seven-year-old Schnauzer named Nathalie, who suffered from severe periodontitis requiring the removal of 20 teeth. The court found that Davies failed to provide adequate water, clean bedding, proper diet, and protection from pain and suffering for 27 dogs and puppies in her care on July 1, 2021.

Her husband, William Davies, saw three charges withdrawn after the prosecution offered no evidence against him. The court imposed an immediate ban on Margaret Davies owning dogs for life, and she was ordered to return for sentencing on February 6, 2023, with a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Most recently, on March 27, 2023, Margaret Davies received a 36-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, after admitting to five animal welfare charges. She was also ordered to pay court costs of over £9,000. The charges included causing unnecessary suffering to three dogs by failing to seek veterinary care and neglecting the needs of 27 dogs and puppies, including providing inadequate water, bedding, and diet. The court noted that a compensation order of £17,820 from the previous year, intended to cover kennelling and veterinary costs, remained unpaid. Her defense argued that her initial dog breeding was an effort to support her dairy farm’s finances, which became increasingly difficult due to new legislation and personal hardships, including her husband’s illness.

Judge Nicholas Wattam highlighted the prolonged and serious neglect inflicted upon the animals, emphasizing that despite advice from animal welfare officers, the conditions persisted. The case underscores the importance of strict enforcement of animal welfare laws and the devastating impact of illegal breeding operations in the region.