- A former Crufts winner, Lynda Cooper, has been banned from owning dogs for ten years after 77 emaciated and seriously unwell dogs, including 20 puppies, were discovered living in squalor at her Pontypool home.
- Animal welfare officers were left “horrified” by the conditions, noting many dogs were significantly underweight and suffering from severe ear and dental infections, with six older dogs later put down due to the severity of their illnesses.
- Cooper pleaded guilty to 11 animal welfare offences, including causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the welfare needs of animals, as well as breeding dogs without a licence, at Cardiff Crown Court on 19 June.
- The 74-year-old received a 12-month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £10,000 in prosecution costs, in addition to the decade-long prohibition on owning dogs.
- Hope Rescue, which took in the animals, described Cooper’s case as “one of the most challenging and distressing” their team had ever encountered, highlighting the devastating state of the dogs upon arrival.
IN FULL
Crufts winner banned from owning dogs for a decade after dozens found starving in her squalid home
