RSPCA seizes 30 cats and kittens from alleged illegal Ballarat breeding ring

An alleged conman has been caught at the scene of a suspected illegal cat farm run out of a vacant Ballarat house. See the shocking footage.

The RSPCA has seized 30 cats from Ballarat properties where an alleged conman is suspected of illegally rearing kittens to sell for profit to unsuspecting buyers.

Inspectors received a tip-off from animal welfare charity Oscar’s Law earlier in the week and executed six warrants at two properties, in the Ballarat suburbs of Wendouree and Mount Pleasant, on Friday morning.

They said the animals were found in unsanitary, confined conditions, and many did not have access to water.

Video captured by Oscar’s Law investigators, that led to the warrants, shows caged and loose cats of various ages - some as young as six weeks. Many of the cats, housed in cramped cages or in closed-off, damp rooms, are seemingly underweight and have conditions such as ringworm.

Kittens filmed in one of the raided homes.

The RSPCA said the case involved two people previously prosecuted for similar offending.

Con Petropoulos, who, along with his wife Liudmila, have on numerous occassions been convicted of similar offences in courts across Victoria, was filmed at the property alongside the RSPCA and police officers.

Mr Petropoulos and his wife have fronted court for similar offences involving selling sick, dying, and underage kittens on a number of occasions, including Ragdolls, Persian, and Siamese breeds.

The felines are often sold in the car parks of fast food outlets, and Mr Petropoulos has been known to use many aliases, such as Konstantinos, Kon, Tomas, or Yani to attract buyers on Gumtree.

In 2022, Mr and Mrs Petropoulos were found guilty of 48 charges in Melbourne Magistrates Court, fined more than $122,000, and banned from keeping or selling any cats for ten years.

In 2020, the duo were prosecuted for operating an illegal domestic animal business and were fined prohibited from running such a business for 18 months.

Just four months later, the RSPCA executed warrants at the couple’s property and seized nine kittens.

Another cat discovered in the room of a house raided by the RSPCA.

Oscar’s Law founder Debra Tranter told the Herald Sun her organisation had been chasing Mr Petropoulos for more than a decade but had not until recently discovered where he kept his breeding cats.

But with a few months of investigation, the group managed to pin down the man, whom, several years prior, they caught on camera selling a five-week-old kitten.

Cats must not be sold until they reach eight weeks of age.

“Every time there is a raid it’s always just the kittens and it’s never a big numbers of cats,” Ms Tranter said.

Ms Tranter said the investigation allegedly caught Mr Petropolous attending the houses once a day.

“They are just houses in Ballarat that are empty and not furnished that he has been using to run his illegal animal business.

“It is just indicative of the amount of money he’s making off these cats if he can have two empty houses.

“He has a complete disregard for the animal’s welfare, no matter what infringements and bans the courts issue.”

Ms Tranter called Mr Petropoulos a “conman” with “years and years of practice manipulating people”.

She said the majority of cats rescued had no access to water, and some had skin conditions and the appearance of ringworm.

Con Petropoulos filmed at the scene of a raid.

Con Petropoulos at Geelong Court in 2013.

The state of their confinement were “incredibly cruel,” Ms Tranter said, and the house reeked of cat urine, had very little airflow and the walls were wet with condensation.

She urged people looking for a pet not to buy kittens out of the back of cars or in public places, but instead to visit the breeder’s home, watch it interacting with its mother, and talk to the breeder.

Lisa Calleja from the RSPCA said the organisation was ”committed to ending illegal animal breeding, rearing, and selling in Victoria”.

“We will continue to pursue all individuals engaging in this behaviour, no matter the complexity of the investigation or the time or resources required,” she said.

The sale of animals in public places is illegal, and offences under the Domestic Animals Act can carry penalties of more than $30,000.

Offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 can cost an individual more than $46,000 or imprisonment for a year.

RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate received 1,922 reports involving cats and kittens in the 2021/22 financial year, with a total of 6,687 cats and kittens involved across those reports.