Unlicensed dog boarder 'forgot' about renewal

AN UNLICENSED dog boarder was found looking after 28 dogs at a time in overcrowded conditions, a court has heard.

- PHILIP DEWEY Court correspondent

Despite not being legally entitled to board dogs on a commercial basis, she made more than £60,000 from customers who were unaware of her status.

Deborah Edwards, 64, and her daughter Lydia Perkins, 34, were operating an unlicensed dog boarding establishment in Risca, Caerphilly despite neither of them having a licence to do so.

They initially boarded dogs at Edwards' home before moving to a commercial unit.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the defendants did not notify owners they did not hold a licence.

Edwards had previously owned a licence but it expired in December 2022 and a renewal was not granted or applied for.

Despite Edwards paying an insurance premium, the insurance was not valid due to her being unlicensed.

The total number of dogs the defendant boarded between January 2023 and October last year was 88.

During this period, a total of £119,203 had been transferred into bank accounts belonging to Edwards, but the amount earned via her offending behaviour was £60,359.

There is also believed to have been a number of cash transactions but these could not be quantified.