Two decades of making money from pet neglect

THE Hamiltons are suspected of flooding Scotland with badly treated pets over two decades, a Record investigation has found.

- BY MARK McGIVERN

FACTORY OF FILTH New Intax Farm in Ayrshire, run by Hamiltons

We can reveal that Stephen Hamilton, 53, and wife Hazel, 51, have close links to a puppy farm in Ireland that bought up 36,000 microchips - used to make farmed pets appear legal.

The couple were refused a breeding licence for their large scale kennels in Newmilns, Ayrshire, in 2016 after a public outcry. But they were caught carrying on regardless.

Inspectors from the Scottish SPCA‘s special investigations unit discovered clear links between the Ayrshire operation and a big Irish partner.

A microchip taken from one pup bought from Stephen Hamilton was among a batch of 36,000 bought from a supplier by the Irish associates.

It is suspected that thousands of dogs were bought by Scots after dogs were trafficked here by Hamilton and other Irish gangs.

If all the chips were sold on the open market with luxury breeds, they could have netted more than £100million.