Couple made a fortune illegally breeding dogs

THREE people from Cardiff illegally overbred dogs without a licence over several years to maximise the number of litters they had and increase their profits.

- BRYANA FRANCIS

Some of the dogs seized in connection with the sentencing of Paul Xuereb, Samantha Xuereb and Matthew Anderson

(SHARED REGULATORY SERVICES)

Dogs - mainly bulldogs and dachshunds - were overbred by over four times the legal annual limit, while procedures which should only legally be performed by vets were carried out to generate extra profit.

Husband and wife Paul Xuereb, 44, and Samantha Xuereb, 41, of Llanrumney, Cardiff, were joint directors of Fertility Frenchies, while Matthew Anderson, 42, of Llanrumney, was a close associate and a joint director of Cardiff Canine Supplies with Paul Xuereb.

The trio carried out illegal dog-breeding from their respective home addresses in Cardiff and performed illegal medical procedures including the taking of blood at a commercial unit in Llanrumney.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the offending came to light in September 2022 when premises were searched.

The court heard evidence of records being altered to avoid detection, prescription-only medication being given without authorisation, breeds being substandard, and congenital defects being passed on through their breeding that owners would not have been aware of.

Judge Carl Harrison said that if buyers had known this, they might not have chosen to buy the dogs.

On a search of the Xuerebs' home, police found eight adult male dogs, 11 puppies from two litters, some of which were being kept in the house and some in an outbuilding, and seven breeding-age female dogs.