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A young mother has been convicted of neglecting numerous puppies in a caravan while also aiding in the setup of an international puppy trafficking operation.
Micaela Anderson-Letts, aged 35, was instrumental in the enterprise that smuggled puppies from nations such as Poland and France across the Channel.
Many of the canines were kept in ‘appalling’ conditions, where they were forced to survive by feeding on one another.
After being trafficked into the UK with counterfeit animal passports, puppies were discovered in various locations across Surrey and Sussex — a situation that posed a significant risk of rabies entering the country.
A large number of dogs were abandoned in a caravan located in Eastbourne, with many others found living in their own waste.
Some of the unfortunate creatures were provided leftover food from pigs maintained by Anderson-Letts at her residence in Surbiton.
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Pigs, chicks, and hens were compelled to compete for food, leaving them injured, malnourished, and deprived of water amid sweltering summer heat during the initial national Covid lockdown.
Authorities uncovered thousands in cash, receipts, and counterfeit documents associated with Anderson-Letts.
She was implicated in what police characterized as a ‘well-organized and structured operation’ that functioned purely as a ‘profit-generating scheme’ with no concern for animal welfare.
It was reported that she stood to gain over £173,000 from the illicit sale of unregistered puppies, traveling as far as Aberdeen to engage in these activities.
A judge at Kingston Crown Court sentenced Anderson-Letts to 24 months, to be served as a suspended sentence for two years, considering she has a one-year-old daughter.
Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey remarked that Anderson-Letts was a demonstrated deceiver who had consistently misled and disregarded the pleas from authorities concerning her animals’ care.
The judge remarked: ‘Documents obtained indicated she was part of a well-structured and organized operation in which she played a crucial role. She created advertisements and collected funds. She was central to this enterprise.’
Her actions posed a significant threat to the United Kingdom, the judge noted: ‘She endangered the rabies status of the entire UK. This represents a risk to both farmers and pet owners, which is a grave concern.’
The court was informed that one puppy rescued from the caravan in Eastbourne ultimately perished due to starvation.
All the pets seized by the RSPCA and police were found to be suffering from infections and infestations.
Sussex Police were alerted to an abandoned caravan in a parking lot in Eastbourne in 2021. Anderson-Letts was already prohibited from keeping animals at the time, however, authorities discovered 35 puppies confined within.
Anderson-Letts disavowed responsibility for the caravan despite CCTV footage clearly showing her vehicle transporting it to the car park.
The Labradors, Dachshunds, and French Bulldogs were found to be living in deplorable conditions, according to PC Marie Jenner of Sussex Police.
She stated: ‘The entire floor was laden with excrement and urine-drenched cardboard. There were exposed wires, nails, and screws, along with broken wood and scattered tools throughout. The living conditions were completely unfit for habitation.’
‘The dogs were extracted from the caravan and placed into temporary pens where we provided them with bowls of water. They were drinking excessively, indicating their dire need for rehydration.’
‘A veterinarian arrived on the scene and conveyed that the dogs were in distress—and would persist in suffering if left in these conditions—thus they were confiscated under the Animal Welfare Act.’
Anderson-Letts has also received an indefinite animal prohibition order and is obligated to perform 300 hours of community service.
She is scheduled to return to court next month.
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