Boss of Durham dog kennels who sold sick puppies is jailed

A man who sold puppies without a licence has been jailed and banned from trading.

Kevin Knox, who traded as Ivy Leaf Kennels, sold puppies which buyers complained were sick 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 under 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.

A judge was told that 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.

Kevin Knox, who traded as Ivy Leaf Kennels, sold puppies which buyers complained became ill on the day of purchase (Submitted)

Evidence was found of Knox advertising on the pet shop’s website and other online sales pages using a false name.

The court heard how 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.

Enquiries revealed that the purchasers contacted the business and spoke to Knox.

They then attended the Ivy Leaf site where Knox’s business partner showed them a selection of puppies and sold them one.

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Further enquiries revealed that the defendant bought microchips and that he took 33 puppies in to vets between June and August 2018.

Knox pleaded guilty to two charges at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court in March - operating without a pet shop licence and giving false information as to his identity.

Kevin Knox sold puppies which buyers complained became ill on the day of purchase on three occasions. (Submitted)

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 council refused the application last April. The business had considered appealing but chose not to.

At the time, it had 30 dogs on the premises and the court heard Knox panicked and did not know what to do.

He accepted he could have called the council to ask but did not. 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.

Kevin Knox has been jailed for eight months (Newcastle Chronicle)

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 a five year ban from operating a pet shop.

Joanne Waller, the council’s head of environment, health and consumer protection, said: “This prosecution shows the lengths we will go to when laws to protect both consumers and animals are breached and we hope the sentence imposed will send a strong message to anyone who thinks they can operate without the required licences.”

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