A local dog boarding kennels in Blymhill near Shifnal has been successfully prosecuted by South Staffordshire Council after it was found to be in breach of the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 during an inspection.

The unannounced animal licensing inspection at Lucknow Farm Kennels on Wednesday 5 June 2019 took place after the boarding kennels applied for a licence under the new Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The inspection revealed conditions described as filthy and dirty and a total of 8 breaches of the licence conditions were found.

Fiona Scholes (64) and Raymond Scholes (70) from Blymhill near Shifnal pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday 27 January 2020 at Staffordshire Magistrates' Court and were fined £200 for each offence as well as court costs and a victim surcharge, a total of £2,741.23 each.

On the day of the inspection to the boarding kennels, investigators from the Council found a number of issues so the licence was refused. Water bowls for the dogs were either empty or overturned, their bedding areas were dirty and wet, and the only bedding provided for most of the dogs was newspaper. Paperwork about the dogs was either missing or out of date and the outside runs were dirty with faeces. Investigators also found that the kitchen area used for preparing food was in poor repair and dirty with open food bags.

Councillor Roger Lees, Deputy Leader of South Staffordshire Council and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services at South Staffordshire Council, said, “This prosecution demonstrates that South Staffordshire Council will not tolerate flagrant disregard of the legal requirements attached to the licences that it issues and we will not hesitate to prosecute when required.

“Lucknow Farm Kennels had been visited previously in March, July and October 2018 when similar conditions were witnessed and advice was given to the defendants setting out our concerns. Our policy has always been to work with businesses to ensure compliance with the law and every opportunity was given to the defendants. Pet owners have the right to expect the highest standards of care for their pets from commercial kennels and that their animals will be well cared for, will not be exposed to disease or danger and that their welfare needs will be met."