How Fermanagh-bred dogs end up in English pet shops

These young Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Beagles leave their birthplace along Clabby Road, destined for a new life at premises near Warrington in England. This winding journey, far from home, is the first step in a story that has sparked concern and controversy.

An investigation by The Impartial Reporter can reveal that dog breeding businesses based in England are registered here in Fermanagh, thanks to licences issued to them by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

READ MORE: No answers from Fermanagh and Omagh Council on investigation

William and Kelly Fenney, the directors of Kelly’s Kennels Limited, have their licensed breeding establishment registered on Clabby Road, Fivemiletown, while their business address remains in the village of Croft.

The puppies are bred in what some campaigners have described as a “puppy farm,” situated within the UK’s largest dog breeding facility, where the three largest licensed dog breeders in the country operate from the same address.

We have also learned that the Clabby Road site is home to other licensed dog breeding establishments, namely the UK Dog Breeding Academy (formerly Furnish Kennels), run by brothers David and Jonathan Hamilton, and Douglas Hall Kennels, run by Eric Lancaster, which is based in Goldshaw Booth in Burnley, England.

The Hamilton brothers, who live in Clabby, have previously faced scrutiny for their practices, becoming the focus of BBC Scotland’s Investigates: The Dog Factory. Secretly filmed footage from their dog breeding firm revealed in 2015 scenes described as “barbaric” by a senior Scottish government vet.

David and Jonathan Hamilton. Photo: BBC.

Furnish Kennels, as it was known at the time, was featured in the documentary, which explored the lucrative world of dog trading and captured images of hundreds of breeding bitches kept in what were likened to battery-farm conditions.

In response to the documentary, the firm’s solicitor stated that the premises were operated in accordance with the law. The programme also showed dozens of pups, just weeks old and without their mothers, huddled together in disused trailers outside the main building, enduring freezing conditions.

Sheila Voas, chief veterinary surgeon with the Scottish government, remarked: “It was barbaric. It was a production line. It was using animals as a commodity.”

David Hamilton, speaking through his solicitor at the time, defended the operation, asserting that the premises were “maintained and run in accordance with all relevant legislation and regulations in an entirely open and transparent manner.” He added: “All dogs are under the supervision of a nominated veterinary surgeon.”

Following the airing of the programme in 2015, a fire tragically killed seven dogs and six pups, an incident the Hamiltons alleged was directly linked to the broadcast. At the time, they told this newspaper: “We’ve had threats of all kinds — people are saying they will murder us, attack our children; I’ve never experienced anything like this.”

When it was introduced in 2020 in England, Lucy’s Law was hailed as “the beginning of the end for puppy farming,” according to the UK’s Department for Environment and Rural Affairs. Under Lucy’s Law, anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must buy directly from a breeder or adopt from a rescue centre instead. If a business sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.

Kelly’s Kennels complies with Lucy’s Law, despite the place of breeding and the premises where they are sold being hundreds of miles apart. Kelly’s Kennels does not hide this; in fact, their website clearly states if a pup is born in Northern Ireland.

One chocolate brown Dachshund with caramel markings is advertised on the website, and in the description, the website states: “These puppies are advertised at the age of eight weeks and were bred by us in our purpose-built Northern Ireland breeding establishment. Please enquire in-store for any of our Warrington-bred litters.”

Documents

The Impartial Reporter has obtained several documents detailing the scale of the purpose-built Northern Ireland breeding establishment for Kelly’s Kennels.

A breeding licence issued by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in March 2019 indicated that the establishment housed 64 bitches and no dogs.

However, this number increased significantly the following year. A breeding licence issued in March 2020 by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council reveals that 300 breeding bitches were kept under the licence at the establishment on Clabby Road, with the point of sale address remaining in Croft.

The March 2021 licence continued to list 300 breeding bitches registered to Clabby Road under Kelly’s Kennels, and a licence issued for March 2023 confirms that 300 breeding bitches are still kept at the premises.

Reports from routine announced and unannounced inspections indicate that the Council regularly inspects the premises. An inspection report from 2021 noted that “all is in order,” and an unannounced visit in October 2021 similarly confirmed that “all is in order.”

A licence granted by Warrington Borough Council shows that Kelly’s Kennels was granted a two-year licence from July 2022 to July 2024 for dog breeding and selling animals as pets (dogs only). The document seen by this newspaper states: “The premises to which this licence applies has been issued with a Three Star Rating.”

The licence is granted subject to the licensee at all times being compliant with the Warrington Borough Council’s Standards Licence Conditions for Dog Breeding and Selling Animals as Pets.

READ MORE: Andrew Muir reaffirms commitment to introduce 'Lucy's Law'

One group that has been critical of the practice is the One Little Westie animal welfare campaign group, which has followed all aspects of licensing in Northern Ireland and the UK, with a particular focus on the premises on Clabby Road. Martina Hogg from One Little Westie said: “Lucy’s Law was supposed to stop puppy farming, the practice of high-volume, low-welfare puppy production.

“An important aspect of puppy farming is allowing the puppies to be moved for sale. This is so that the buyer does not see the condition the puppy was born in, which is also the place its mother remains after it is removed and transported for sale.

“Hundreds of breeding dogs produce thousands of puppies each year at the Fivemiletown puppy farm. The puppies are separated from their mums and shipped for sale in England. The only thing that has changed is the paperwork.”

She added: “There used to be one dog breeding licence at the puppy farm in the name of the UK Dog Breeding Academy Ltd. There are now three dog breeding licences at the puppy farm in the names of David Hamilton, William and Kelly Fenney, and Eric Lancaster. That’s all these so-called reforms achieved: different bits of paper with different names on them.”

Ms Hogg called for an “independent investigation into licensing and planning at the Fivemiletown puppy farm”.

“This isn’t just about canine welfare. There is only one way to stop puppy farming: ensure all puppies are sold from the premises where they were born. The Northern Ireland Assembly could set the bar for the rest of the UK by requiring all puppies to be sold from the premises where they were born.”

The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) has also called for new legislation on the matter.

‘Loopholes’

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Siobhan McHaffie, Director of Operations and Development for the charity, said: “The USPCA would like to see the introduction of new legislation that bans the third-party sale of pups and helps tackle rogue traders of dogs and cats, closing the loopholes in the English legislation.”

READ MORE: How puppies bred in Fermanagh are being sold in Warrington

She said her organisation will continue to work towards ensuring that even the Council-licensed breeders are held accountable for the health and welfare of all dogs and pups on their premises and for onward sale: “We would urge prospective puppy owners to undertake thorough research and take into consideration the impact of lengthy travel on very young pups.

“As an animal welfare charity, we are aligned to the five domains, which state that animals must have the opportunity to have positive experiences. Additionally, transporting young puppies sometimes hundreds of miles across to Great Britain and onwards to their new location can only cause them stress and discomfort.”

Discussing Lucy’s Law, which the current affairs magazine Private Eye branded as “Lucy’s Flaw,” Ms McHaffie said: “Lucy’s Law was viewed as groundbreaking legislation which would stop puppy farming and unscrupulous breeders. Sadly, it did not. The English legislation has significant loopholes; there has not been a single prosecution taken under Lucy’s Law.

One such loophole in the current legislation allows individuals to breed litters from multiple dogs without a breeding establishment licence and, by definition, without the requirement to meet the standards set out in the legislation. This happens when multiple members of a family each licence a number of dogs below the threshold at which a breeding licence is required.”

The Impartial Reporter contacted Kelly’s Kennels, UK Dog Breeding Limited, and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and asked them to comment.

Mr. Hamilton was asked mulitple times to comment this week but did not respond to our emails or text messages.