Three illegal dog breeders have been sentenced for unlawful dog breeding and animal cruelty last week at Cardiff Crown Court.
Turan Kiran, 48, and Cetin Kiral, 34, were sentenced on January 21 following reports of the smell of a “dead body” coming from a property. When officers attended, they found 38 dogs living in extremely poor conditions, with a strong smell of urine and faeces throughout the premises.
Kiran initially claimed that only 20 dogs were at the property but admitted he did not hold a dog breeders’ licence. The property was unfit for both human and animal habitation, and 17 of the dogs were found to be suffering and in pain.
Kiran pleaded guilty to 17 counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Kiral pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Kiran received an 18‑week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Kiral received a nine‑week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay back £27,000, the income he gained from his illegal activity, and £20,000 in court costs.
Both Kiran and Kiral have been banned from owning dogs for the rest of their lives under a lifetime disqualification order imposed by the court.
Cllr Norma Mackie, Cabinet Member responsible for Shared Regulatory Services at Cardiff Council, said: “The stench coming from this property alerted authorities to the crimes that were taking placed inside, and what officers uncovered was a putrid puppy farm that left police and council officers physically sick from the smell. The suffering these animals endured was clear, and the lifetime ban means these individuals can never legally breed dogs again.
“I would like to thank the charity Hope Rescue for the enormous support it provided to the Council on the day of the operation, as well as for the ongoing care and rehoming of the dogs into their forever homes.”
On Friday, January 23, Anton Marcus Boston, 31, was also sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court and jailed for 36 weeks for mutilating the ears of six of his dogs, a practice banned under UK law. His offending was aggravated by a previous conviction for similar offences in 2020.
Veterinary examinations found multiple untreated infections affecting the dogs’ eyes, ears, skin, and general health. Seven dogs were seized under the Animal Welfare Act due to the severity of their condition.
Between 2020 and 2023, Boston was warned six times by Shared Regulatory Services officers about breeding bully‑type dogs without the required licence.
Boston, of Heol Pantyderi in Caerau, initially claimed the dogs’ ears had already been cropped when he bought them at dog shows. He later pleaded guilty to instructing illegal cropping procedures on the six dogs.
A review of veterinary records, breeding paperwork, social media activity, and microchip data revealed that Boston had bred large numbers of litters without a licence, in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. Some dogs had been overbred, including one that gave birth only months after a vet instructed that no further breeding should take place. No import documents or passports were found for any of the dogs, despite all having cropped ears.
Veterinary records linked at least 25 litters to Boston between 2020 and 2023, with additional puppies presented for vaccinations suggesting further unregistered litters.
Boston received a 15‑year ban on owning or keeping dogs.
Cllr Norma Mackie added: “Anton Boston is an illegal dog breeder who has shown little regard for his dogs beyond using them to make money. They were kept in appalling conditions, suffering multiple infections and neglect, with clear evidence that the bitches were overbred and received very little veterinary care.
“All seven dogs seized had cropped ears, indicating he carried out illegal mutilation. This is not the first time he has come to the attention of authorities, as he was previously prosecuted in 2020 for illegal dog breeding and fraud. We hope this sentence encourages him to change his ways, as animal cruelty and breeding without a license will not be tolerated.”
