A woman who was caught on camera kicking and hitting dogs at her kennel business has been banned from keeping the animals.
Amanda Le Bretton, 55, ran dog boarding business Home from Home Dog Retreat at her Ellesmere Port home before shocking video footage emerged on social media last summer, showing her aggressively hitting and kicking the animals in her care.
One video seen by the Liverpool Echo shows the 55-year-old picking up a dog, called Lou Lou, by its neck, causing it to squeal repeatedly. Lou Lou's owner told the ECHO she "couldn't even cry" out of shock when she watched the video.
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In another video, Le Bretton can heard saying "he's p****d all in here now. God's sake. They're misbehaving" before she kicks a small white dog which squeals in response. In another, she bends down to cradle a dog's face before hitting it.
She then hits it again as she turns away. One video shows a group of dogs showing an interest in a patch of floor.
In the background Le Bretton can be heard saying "what have you done" before she enters the shot and kicks at two dogs that approach her. She then says "naughty boy Ringo, look at that" and points at what appears to be dog urine on the floor, before she hits a dog.
Le Bretton, who now lives overseas, lost her dog licence shortly after the videos emerged. This week she was fined at Chester Magistrates Court for four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs. The court heard from a vet how her actions definitely caused anxiety and compromised the mental welfare of the dogs in her care.
Le Bretton was also disqualified from owning, keeping and dealing with animals under section 34 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. She was fined a total of £3,000 (£750 for each charge) plus £1,235 in prosecution costs and a £190 victim surcharge.
Cheshire West and Chester Council said: "Ms Le Bretton is no longer permitted to run a dog home boarding or day care business.
"In May 2022, the Council’s Public Protection Service received an email which contained videos from security cameras showing footage of dogs in the care of Ms Le Bretton.
"The video footage was shown to a local vet for an opinion on how the dogs were treated. The four charges in this prosecution involved Ms Le Bretton grabbing a dog around its neck, kicking a second dog, hitting another dog, and picking a toy breed up by the scruff of its neck, causing the dog to squeal repeatedly.
"The vet confirmed that the licence holder’s actions definitely caused anxiety and compromised the mental welfare of the dogs in her care.
"If you are looking for businesses that can be trusted to look after your pets always check that any home boarder used is licensed by the Council, this ensures that regular checks are made on the business and that officers have the powers to fully investigate any allegations made."
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