Puppy farmers convicted of 18 animal cruelty offences allowed to continue operating

A pair of puppy farmers who pleaded guilty to 18 animal cruelty offences have been allowed to continue operating, despite one of their dogs dying under horrific circumstances. WARNING: Graphic and distressing images

The owners of the state’s largest known puppy farm can still operate despite being convicted of animal cruelty after they left a boxer dog named Strawberry to die as she struggled to give birth.

The RSPCA has warned there could be up to 900 such “puppy factories” across NSW.

Michael Flanagan, 66, and his daughter Casey Lee Poulet, 40, are still allowed to have 80 bitches and 25 stud dogs despite being fined and ordered to pay a vet bill of $150,000 to the RSPCA after it raided their isolated Copeton kennels.

Inspectors with the RPSCA’s Puppy Factory Task Force found 441 dogs including 250 puppies inside concrete kennel blocks with no bedding and constantly wet floors. Every dog had wet feet and underbellies, with some covered in liquid faecal matter, Inverell Local Court was told.

With a NSW parliamentary inquiry underway into puppy farms, Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst has put up a bill to follow the lead of Victoria and Western Australia and outlaw puppy farming and automatically ban breeders who have been convicted of animal cruelty.

Dogs at the Stockhaven puppy farm near Inverell were found to live in concrete kennel blocks with no bedding and constantly wet floors.

The bill proposes restricting breeders to 10 female dogs along with an online pet register similar to that in Victoria where all breeders have a “source” number so every dog can be traced. In WA, it is mandatory for all dog owners to sterilise their animals by the age of two unless they get an exemption.

“It means you can’t sell any animals from underground puppy farms because the breeder would have to provide their source number and if anyone sells a sick dog or a dog that doesn’t arrive, the authorities can step in,” Ms Hurst, who sits on the parliamentary inquiry and represents the party in the upper house, said.

“We have massive loopholes in our legislation and our oversight procedures.”

Already there is evidence that cruel puppy farmers are moving into NSW after their businesses have been banned in other states.

RSPCA NSW Chief Inspector, Scott Meyers said they had identified approximately 900 breeding facilities in the state.

“Our team are working tirelessly to inspect each one, to prevent any more animals from suffering at the hands of irresponsible breeders,” he said.

Warning: Graphic pictures

Strawberry the boxer died in heartbreaking conditions after “puppy farm” breeders failed to get vet help when she had problems giving birth.

From August 2020 to December 2021, the Puppy Factory Task Force inspected 373 breeding facilities, undertook 168 revisits with 6677 animals inspected. There were 174 penalty infringements notices issued.

Welfare group Oscar’s Law president Georgie Purcell, who helped expose the Copeton puppy factory, said puppies from these establishments were sold online and across Australia with two of Strawberry’s puppies ending up at a Perth pet shop.

An aerial view of the Stockhaven puppy farm.

Together, the pair pleaded guilty and were convicted of eighteen offences against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and the Animal Welfare Code of Practice.

The RSPCA did not apply in court for an order to shut down the breeders.

Michael Flanagan, whose kennels are called Stockhaven and are on Onus Road, Gum Flat, was last month fined a total of $16,700 and his daughter, who lives in Wagga Wagga, was fined $4200, at Inverell Local Court.

Strawberry suffered illness and weakness for 40 hours after giving birth before she died.

The puppies were then sold online and through pet shops across the country.

The court was told Strawberry had suffered from dystocia, a condition considered to be a veterinary emergency, for approximately 40 hours. She had difficulty expelling her litter of pups through the birth canal during labour suffered systemic illness and weakness which led to her death.

Magistrate Holly Kemp said Strawberry was “vulnerable, utterly helpless and dependant on humans to ensure the right treatment was offered to her … she suffered hours of suffering leading up to her death.”

Mr Meyers said Strawberry’s story was heartbreaking.

Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said NSW already had some of the highest penalties in the country for animal welfare offences with fines up to $110,000 and two years’ jail.

“Courts can also use disqualification orders to ban convicted offenders from purchasing, keeping or caring for animals,” he said.