Pet shop owner disqualified for 15 years after Harrow prosecution

A pet shop owner prosecuted by the London Borough of Harrow has been disqualified from keeping a pet shop for 15 years over breaches of his licence.

The council had imposed conditions on the licence held by Stuart Wood – who ran Sylvesters Pet Shops in Harrow and in Hanwell, Ealing – in 2010 after concerns that he was importing puppies from the Republic of Ireland, where breeders did not need to be licensed at that time.

Harrow renewed the licence but with a requirement that puppies could only be imported from breeders licensed or approved by the council.

The local authority subsequently prosecuted Wood – pursuant to the Animals Act 1951 – for 15 breaches of the condition.

It also accused the defendant of other breaches, including a failure to keep adequate veterinary records, and failing to tell two customers of the origin of the dogs.

Wood was found guilty after a two-day trial. He was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay costs of £12,175.

Harrow’s counsel, Philip Kolvin QC of Cornerstone Barristers, argued that the defendant should be disqualified for a number of reasons.

These included a previous offence in relation to the pet shops, the large scale nature of the offending (with 195 dogs involved) and the fact that the offences were committed for profit.

The District Judge also took into account the fact that a customer’s daughter contracted a skin condition as a result of contact with a sick puppy.