A CARMARTHENSHIRE Kennel Club show judge has been done for illegal breeding.

Carmarthenshire County Council brought a prosecution against Gareth Lawler, 57, who lives in Monmouth but previously lived in Hendy, after investigations into unlicenced breeding.

The investigations were carried out by the council in 2020 after a 2019 application for a dog and cat boarding licence renewal had been applied for.

The licence was refused and a warrant was obtained to search the property after it was found that Lawler’s own dogs were being kept in satisfactory conditions and he refused to allow officers access to the areas where other dogs and puppies were.

There were also other non-conformities to licensing conditions and a concern about illegal breeding.

The search and online investigations found the breeding dogs and puppies in poor conditions and evidence of 27 unlicensed litters being bred between July 24, 2016, and July 22, 2020.

11 of those litters were bred in the last 12 months of the above period, despite Lawler being advised of the dog breeding regulations on multiple occasions.

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Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, cabinet member for climate change, decarbonisation and sustainability with responsibility for trading standards, said: “I would like to praise the actions of our animal welfare team who uncovered unlicensed dog breeding, as well as dogs being kept in unacceptable conditions during an inspection which forms part of the dog boarding licensing procedure.

“Mr Lawler is well-known on the dog show circuit, having judged English Springer Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels and Welsh Springer Spaniels at Kennel Club shows and this case indicates the importance of licensed for dog boarding and breeding, both of which are in place to protect the welfare of dogs.

“The council is committed to ensuring that breeders and boarders of dogs in Carmarthenshire follow the rules that are in place which ensure that breeding dogs, their puppies and those being boarded are kept in proper conditions.”

The case was heard at Swansea Crown Court earlier in December. It was found that Lawler had benefitted from £153,000 after committing the crimes and the court ordered that £78,000 be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If this is not paid within three months, the court ordered a 12-month prison sentence. Lawler was also fined £500 for the unlicensed breeding and has been given six months to pay this. If he doesn’t a further 14 days prison sentence will be activated.