At Cardiff Crown Court, he was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 240 hours community service and 15 hours rehabilitation. He was banned from owning animals for 15 years and ordered to pay £2,000 costs.
At a previous hearing, Adam pleaded not guilty to participating in a fraudulent business, acquiring criminal property to the value of more than £200,000 and possessing vaccination cards for a fraudulent use. The charges have been left on file.
Cropping of dogs’ ears is illegal in the UK. It causes pain, trauma and potential future health problems for the animals.
Adam’s mutilation of dogs, including American bullies, was first exposed by a BBC Wales investigation.
A specialist regional trading standards team, Operation Cabal, launched its own investigation some months later and found social media adverts for Sons of Adam, operated by the defendant, showing images of dogs with cropped ears.
Trading standards officers, in partnership with Gwent Police, raided his home and they took away seven American bully puppies and an adult French bulldog because of the poor environmental conditions.
Three other dogs, two adult male American bullies Cain and Seth, and a puppy with cropped ears were taken away. Adam claimed they had been imported but they did not have the required legal documentation.
As a result of search, seven false canine passports were found. These were blank ready to be supplied with dogs so new owners could falsely claim they had been imported with their ears cropped.
Photos of a dog called Abel were discovered – one with intact ears and one with jagged mutilated ears. Evidence showed that Abel had been bred by Adam which suggested the dog’s ears were cropped while in his care.
Councillor Mark Spencer, Newport City Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for trading standards, said: “This is a horrifying case where someone inflicted pain and suffering on animals purely for profit and it is right that he is now paying for his crimes.
“This was brought to a successful conclusion thanks to the hard work of the Newport-based regional investigation team who have dealt with a significant number of cases throughout Wales.
“And I would like to thank the good work of the BBC Wales reporters who first brought this man’s disgraceful behaviour to public attention and whose evidence formed part of the prosecution case.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “Operation Cabal has been instrumental in exposing the cruelty and criminality at the heart of illegal dog breeding networks. This case is yet another shocking example of how individuals, motivated purely by profit, inflict real suffering on animals and deceive the public. I commend the work of Newport City Council and the regional investigation team for securing this conviction.”
