Ellesmere Port dog boarding business prosecuted

Home from Home Dog Retreat in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, has been prosecuted this week (29 March) at Chester Magistrates Court.

In May 2021, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Public Protection Service received an email that contained videos from security cameras showing footage of dogs in the care of business owner and licence holder Amanda 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 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 Le Bretton’s actions definitely caused anxiety and compromised the mental welfare of the dogs in her care.

Cheshire West and Chester Council originally revoked the licence of Le Bretton’s home boarding business for dogs in Ellesmere Port in August 2022, which means she is no longer permitted to run a dog home boarding or daycare business.

Le Bretton, who now lives overseas, was fined £750 for each of four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs. Le Bretton has been disqualified under section 34 (2), (3) and (4) of Animal Welfare Act 2006 and fined a total of £3,000 plus £1,235 prosecution costs and £190 victim surcharge.

Le Bretton had an opportunity to appeal the decision to revoke the licence to the First Tier Tribunal in the General Regulatory Chamber.