Two puppy farmers who bred and sold sick dogs to families in Greater Manchester have been spared jail.
A court heard this week that Betty Burton, 35, and Jeff McDonagh, 38, conned unsuspecting members of the public out of an estimated £250,000 – with many of the dogs including Cavapoos, French Bulldogs, and Cocker Spaniels dying a short time after being sold.
It was revealed that out of the 42 puppies sold by the pair, fifteen tragically died, and all required veterinary treatment for different illnesses and health problems.
Following a trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court in February 2020, the pair from Telford, Shropshire, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud, and they also pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences including causing unnecessary suffering to a certain animal, and failing to meet the needs of animals.
But both were spared jail for their evil crimes, with McDonagh said to be suffering from mental health issues.
The RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, which is a specialist team that investigates serious and organised animal crime, launched an investigation in 2017 after reports were received from people who had bought sick puppies in the Greater Manchester area.
The adverts for the puppies had all appeared on the Pets4Homes website.
👩⚖️🐶 On Friday the 2nd of July, two people were sentenced for their involvement in defrauding the public out of money, failing to meet the needs of dogs and causing unnecessary suffering. Read the full story here and help us #CancelOutCruelty: https://t.co/1ThGcH5VAWpic.twitter.com/ZYSZrtULmH
— RSPCA (England & Wales) (@RSPCA_official) July 8, 2021
Kirsty Withnall – RSPCA SOU officer, who led the investigation – said: “All of the adverts suggested that the puppies were the offspring of a family pet, had been born in the home, and socialised with the family.
“We spoke to 11 people in connection with the first address – linked to Burton – that came to our attention [as] all of the buyers had been directed to a public phone box to call when they arrived to see the puppies.
“One person refused to buy the puppy when it didn’t resemble the dog she’d been sent a photo of, wasn’t with its mother and appeared scared and whimpering.
“Others bought cockapoos, cavapoos, dachshunds and pomeranians.”
A second Manchester address was then used and officers spoke to six members of the public who had bought puppies from the property – which is linked to both Burton and McDonagh.
Of these six dogs, three died.
Then, from 25 October 2017, the operation expanded to a third Manchester property and five properties across Telford, which were again, all linked to Burton and McDonagh, with Beagles, French Bulldogs, Cavapoos, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Cavaliers all sold.
The pair conned unsuspecting members of the public out of an estimated £250,000 / Credit: RSPCA
“These sellers were incredibly professional and clever,” Ms Withnall added.
“They sold puppies from one address and moved onto the next before arousing suspicion. They used different names in adverts and on paperwork, different numbers and false postcodes which were either completely made up or were linked to local fast-food restaurants.
“Vaccination cards were falsified with Tippex so they could be re-used and buyers were misled about the source, breed, age and health of the puppies they were buying.”
The court heard that members of the public also raised concerns about a property in Telford.
A warrant was executed by West Mercia Police in November 2019, and 55 dogs and puppies were removed from the property on welfare grounds, with a further 26 puppies born in RSPCA care, bringing the total number of dogs to 81.
The court heard that the dogs were being kept in inappropriate, dirty conditions, with some being underweight and having health problems such as skin issues and untreated eye conditions.
The court heard that the dogs were being kept in inappropriate and dirty conditions / Credit: RSPCA
Analysis of the online adverts from November 2015 to October 2018 showed that 22 different names were used to advertise 439 puppies, with a total sale value of more than £253,885.
McDonagh was sentenced to two years custody – suspended for 24 months – was also disqualified from owning dogs for life and cannot appeal the ban for five years, and must also undertake a community order including a mental health treatment requirement and 30 days rehabilitation requirement activity days.
Burton was sentenced to six months custody – suspended for 12 months – 30 rehabilitation activity requirements days, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge, as well as being banned from keeping animals for life and can not appeal her disqualification for two years.
The dogs were signed over to the RSPCA in December 2019 and have since all been rehomed.
Featured Image – RSPCA
News
Manchester City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt to shift
Danny Jones
Man City have divided a fair few supporters after they sacked a barman for wearing a United shirt to their shift during the Manchester derby.
Although it’s not exactly surprising, the decision has ruffled plenty of feathers on both sides, as well as among neutral fans.
The Blues emerged victorious in the 197th clash between the two local rivals, winning 3-0 on an evening that paid tribute to the late, great Ricky Hatton, but another backstory looming over the fixture that caught the attention of football fans online was the City staff member who lost his job.
Working on concessions inside the Etihad Stadium before the game, the barman was made known to the official MCFC Matchday Support channel on X, who quickly confirmed he had been let go before the game even began.
In the since-deleted post, the home fan who reported the worker wrote: “Absolute joke – letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day.”
Although many City fans applauded the fast action by the club on the day, it’s fair to say that sacking him so soon that he didn’t even last until kick-off has rubbed many others the wrong way.
One Liverpool fan commented: “I hate United way more than City, but to sack him from a job because of an item of clothing is crazy. So, so poor from Manchester City, this. It’s just football lads, he’s not wearing a political or derogatory symbol. It’s literally a football team…”
Another neutral added: “Getting a minimum wage worker sacked for having a bit of fun instead of just winding him up is the absolute sad state this country is in.”
Even the ‘Out Of Context Football Manager‘ parody account chipped in, writing: “The guy’s been sacked for this. All he needed was a formal warning. I get he’s taking the p*ss – but losing a salary he might really need over this?!
While many have been even more outspoken in their response, as you can see, many supporters – be they Red or otherwise – have come up with arguably the perfect solution:
Manchester City are yet to comment on the backlash, apart from the initial confirmation that the still-anonymous staff member has been released from his position, but as for Man United, simply sticking him on the kiosks in the Stretford End could prove to be a very easy bit of positive PR.
Besides the growing frustration around the fanbase, as Ruben Amorim has yet to turn things around at Old Trafford (pressure was growing even before the derby day defeat), the Red Devils could no doubt do with some positive press for a change.
In fact, it was only earlier this year that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and the wider INEOS Sports administration sanctioned a second round of redundancies at United, with approximately 450 individuals losing their jobs.
That being said, although some have labelled the sacking of the now ex-City barman as “absolutely horrendous behaviour” for Man City, many jumped to quip back that “[United are] more likely to sack more bar staff, not hire them”, as well as simultaneously taking aim at their significant transfer spending.
Featured Images — Mataniels via X (now deleted)/The Manc Group
News
Teen arrested on suspicion of murder after 15-year-old boy is killed in Moss Side stabbing
Emily Sergeant
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the killing of a 15-year-old boy in Moss Side yesterday.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to reports of a ‘disturbance’ involving a number of people on Monton Street in Moss Side at just after 4:30pm yesterday (15 September), and when they arrived on the scene, they found a 15-year-old boy with serious stab wounds.
After being treated both at the scene and later in hospital, the boy was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
#NEWS | A 15-year-old boy has sadly been pronounced dead, murder investigation launched and S60 put in place for the below area following an disturbance on Monton Street, Moss Side earlier this evening (15 September).
Due to the shocking nature of the incident, police confirmed that a Section 60 – which allows officers to ‘stop and search’ people within a specific area – has been put in place until 5:20pm this evening.
With enquiries currently ongoing, and GMP describing the investigation as ‘progressing at pace’, it has now been confirmed that a teenager, also a 15-year-old boy, the same as the victim, has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and he remains in police custody for questioning.
His family are aware of this development and continue to be supported by specially-trained officers.
#ARREST | Following our earlier update, a 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.
This arrest comes after the death of another 15-year-old boy on Monton Street, Moss Side yesterday (15 September 2025).
“There is a thorough investigation plan in place as we look to find the perpetrator of this appalling act that has seen a young man lose his life,” explained Chief Superintendent David Meeney, from GMP’s City of Manchester district.
“This incident will understandably have caused shock and concern within the community and the surrounding area, particularly those who witnessed it, so you will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days.
“We remain committed to providing the victim’s family with the answers they deserve.”
Anyone with any information, or who may have been in the area at the time of the incident, is urged to contact GMP on 101 or online, quoting log 2327 of 15/09/25.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
9th July 2021 
