Woman kept puppies in 'appalling conditions'

A councillor has described an animal welfare case as "deeply concerning" with "animals found living in appalling conditions and suffering as a result."

Torridge District Council said Tara Coshall, 55, of Woolsery, Devon, had been found guilty of breeding dogs without an animal activity licence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The case went to Barnstaple Magistrates Court on 29 June.

Philip Hackett, lead member for public health and community safety at Torridge District Council, said: "Unlicensed breeders will often find underhand ways of showing their puppies to prospective buyers, portraying a living environment which is often drastically different behind the scenes."

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He said the case "highlighted how important it was to buy animals from businesses who hold an appropriate animal activity licence with their local authority".

"This was a deeply concerning case, with animals found living in appalling conditions and suffering as a result," he said.

The council said it received complaints in October 2025 from buyers of golden retriever puppies who found the puppies were suffering from biting lice infestations.

The puppies had sores, scabs and were scratching and required veterinary treatment, with one puppy developing profuse diarrhoea, it said.

Officers from the council attended Coshall's site shortly after receiving the initial complaint.

It said: "The conditions the dogs were found to be living in were poor and some were "cramped in a 'storage' cupboard and some had no or little water.

"The outside run was covered with carpet pieces which may have contributed to the biting lice infestation."

"As a blatant tact to deceive buyers, Coshall had set up a puppy viewing/play pen where conditions were much better, for potential buyers to view and meet the puppies. Sales from two litters of puppies amounted to £21,000," it said.

"Coshall had a working knowledge and awareness of the Animal Licensing Regulations having previously held a licence which she cancelled in 2023, stating that she was no longer breeding dogs."

The council added Coshall transported all 15 puppies to the vet in the back of a small van, without being restrained or contained in any way.

Torridge District Council said it was advising anyone of thinking of buying a puppy or looking to employ the services of a home boarder or dog daycare, to check that the business has a licence.

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