The lives of dozens of poorly dogs have been saved after they were rescued from squalid living conditions on a puppy farm and found loving homes.
Almost 60 dogs were seized by the SSPCA from Balnamoon farm, near Keith, but, with two of them pregnant, the animal welfare charity landed up caring for 78 dogs in total.
One dog was pregnant with its third litter of the year – one more than is allowed for Kennel Club registration – and died during birth in what was thought to be caused by overbreeding.
The Moray puppy farmer who kept the disease-ridden dogs in filthy conditions told investigators he was “only required to provide food, water and shelter” to the animals.
Samuel Ronald Hessin averted his eyes as footage of the squalid conditions was played to a court yesterday.
The 49-year-old and his son Samuel Arthur Hessin, 22, posed as legitimate breeders, but the animals they sold were suffering clear signs of neglect.
At Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday the pair were banned from keeping dogs for a decade.
The court heard that the family had moved from Ireland for a better life and had taken over Balnamoon farm, near Keith.
But with failing finances the younger Hessin had taken up a Northern Irish friend’s offer of some dogs to sell on.
The animals were imported to Scotland but the Hessins pretended to buyers that they were family pets or their offspring.
The dogs were sold under a variety of fake names and multiple phone numbers on free websites such as Gumtree.
Lawyers for the pair said it was an “amateur operation which spiralled out of control”.
Fiscal depute Shamielah Ghafar told the court the operation was uncovered after a woman and her daughter went to view a puppy sold by the pair.
The women declined to buy the dog as it looked and smelled “filthy”, but contacted the SSPCA.
Police and vets went to the farm and found dogs in faeces-strewn conditions, with some locked in cages.
There was “no provision to prevent the spread of disease or infection” and “many were suffering from ailments”
She said: “Many adult dogs were kept in small crates which were filled with faecal matter and straw, and had little room to move.
“Within the dwelling house there were a number of suckling puppies with only a blanket on the hard ground (to sleep on).
“On the direction of a veterinary witness the decision was made to remove all the animals to prevent further suffering.”
Once removed a number of dogs were found to be suffering mange, hair loss and ear mites.
One was found to have fractures to her teeth and an infected cut on her neck.
Another required surgery for a “cherry eye” condition.
Ms Ghafar told the court that it would have been apparent that all the dogs needed treatment.
A sample of faeces taken from the property revealed the presence of e-coli, campylobacter and salmonella infections, as well as giardia and parvovirus.
Ms Ghafar said that in an interview with the SSPCA about his legal responsibilities, “Mr Hessin Senior…stated he’s only required to provide food, water and shelter to animals and therefore fulfilling those needs.”
Distressing footage played to the court showed litters of Labrador and Staffordshire bull terrier puppies, as well as adult springer spaniels, kept within sparse cages, as well as a number of terrier-type dogs running around a house strewn with litter and with brown streaks on the floor.
Solicitor Lynne Freeland, acting for Samuel Hessin Senior, said the family had relocated to the area in 2018 for a “better life”.
“A narrative and footage such as this never makes for pleasant listening or watching,” she said.
“He’s very much ashamed and embarrassed.
“When they moved over, Samuel Hessin Junior has a passion for dogs.
“He entered into an agreement with a friend in Ireland to obtain some dogs and matters seem to escalate and before too long, a quantity of dogs were being sold.
“They spoke to a vet and the SSPCA about bedding and of the need for a licence.
“Although initial inquiries were made they didn’t take them any further, which was an error on their part.”
She said an inquiry of a similar nature to Moray Council led to the pair being directed to the council website.
She said Hessin Senior “did not have the facilities, knowledge or skills to make this whole thing work or legal.
“This was an extremely amateur operation that spiralled out of control, to his regret.”
She urged the sheriff not to jail Mr Hessin, as without him, the farm business, with it’s “dire financial position”, would undoubtedly fold.
£10,000 profit from animal cruelty
Mr Hessin Senior estimated that they had made around £10,000 from the operation.
Solicitor Iain Hingston, for the younger man, said his client was “utterly distraught about what he was involved in”.
He said the operation was in a bid to shore up the “horrific figures” in the account books of the family farm.
He said: “There was an air of desperation in his approach to this.
“He’s a bit of a daft lad, he’s not a criminal mastermind.
“He’s just let it get out of hand. The chances of him appearing (in court) again are remote.”
Mr Hingston added that the only reason for the multiple phone numbers and email addresses was a limit on the number of free ads imposed by the selling websites.
He further admitted selling dogs without a licence between December 2018 and September 2019.
His son admitted two different charges of misleading trading practices and causing the animals unnecessary suffering between December 2018 and September 2019.
Noting the “emotive” nature of the case but that the pair were selling the dogs “to keep the wolf from the door”, Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov told the pair they would not be jailed.
She said: “It’s clearly by good fortune the operation was closed down particularly quickly by a member of the public reporting the activity.
“I accept this was not an operation to maintain a luxurious lifestyle but to maintain a livelihood.”
Both were banned from keeping animals for 10 years and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, the maximum allowed.
They’re also banned from seeking compensation from the SSPCA for the seized dogs.
Speaking following the sentencing, Andy Shanks, Procurator Fiscal for Grampian, Highland and Islands, said: “This was a case of widespread and indiscriminate neglect where dogs and puppies were caused suffering and pain by Samuel Ronald Hessin and Samuel Arthur Hessin.
“I would like to thank the Scottish SPCA, Moray Trading Standards and Police Scotland for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.”
One dog died after overbreeding
A Scottish SPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said, although 56 dogs were seized during the initial raid, the animal welfare charity ended up caring for 78 dogs in total.
They explained: “Two of the female dogs were pregnant when they came in to our care. Sadly, the birth was just too much for one of them and she passed away during labour.
“We believe she had been badly overbred and it was her third litter in just one year.”
“Thankfully, due to the care and dedication of our animal care teams we were able to successfully rehabilitate the remaining dogs and find them loving homes,” they said.
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