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.
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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.
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👩⚖️🐶 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.
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“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.
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“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.
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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
Spike in antisemitic incidents reported after Manchester synagogue terror attack
Emily Sergeant
A new report has revealed that there was a rise in antisemitic incidents reported following the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
In case you need a reminder, the shocking knife and car attack took place on 2 October 2025 on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar – at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, and during the incident, two men sadly lost their lives during the attack – Adrian Daulby, 53, who was shot dead by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) while trying to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, a worshipper who also helped stop the attacker.
The attacker was named as 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie – a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who lived in Prestwich – who at the time was on bail for an alleged rape, before being shot dead by police.
In the wake of the attack, the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said 40 antisemitic incidents were reported on 2 October last year, and a further 40 were reported the day after – more than half of which involved direct reactions to the deadly attack.
These were the highest daily totals in 2025.
A spike in antisemitic incidents were reported after the Manchester synagogue terror attack / Credit: Google Maps | GMP
Three of the reported incidents on 2 and 3 October involved ‘face-to-face taunting and celebration of the attack to Jewish people’, according to the CST.
39 of the reported incidents were antisemitic social media posts referencing the attack, abusive responses to public condemnations of the attack from Jewish organisations and individuals, or antagonistic emails sent to Jewish people and institutions.
The Manchester synagogue attack was the first fatal antisemitic terror attack in the UK since the CST started recording incidents in 1984.
Overall, 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents were recorded in 2025 – which is said to be up 4% on the incidents recorded in the year before – and the CST revealed that this the second-highest annual total ever recorded.
There was also a spike in reported anti-Jewish hate incidents following the Bondi Beach killings in Sydney in December of last year too, the CST said.
Dave Rich, who is the director of police at CST, told Sky News in a statement: “We need a more robust approach to the kind of extremism that drives antisemitism.
“Jewish people in Britain used to be able to go about their lives without ever thinking about antisemitism, and now it’s the topic of conversation around every dinner table. That’s new.
“It feels for a lot of Jewish people like we’re in a different world now, the atmosphere is different, the climate has changed for Jewish people and the amount of antisemitism is part of that.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
The Manc -
9th July 2021 
