Doreen Pemberton, a pet shop owner who kept the bodies of 49 diseased dogs and cats in her freezer, says she is facing financial ruin after a Court ruled that she will have to pay £200,000 in fines and costs.

Dozens of complaints by members of the public led the Police to raid the premises called The Family Pet Shop, North Street, Romford, Essex where they arrested Doreen Pemberton, 69, after the carcasses, including 13 puppies, were found.

The pensioner claimed that she could not afford the £40,000 fine and £159,000 costs.  She appealed against the Order at Snaresborough Crown Court but failed to provide details of her means as requested by the Court.

Judge Peter Birts threw out the appeal and upheld a lifetime ban on her  running pet shops and a 5 year ban on keeping dogs.

When RSPCA inspectors raided the shop in September 2004, they found that disease was 'rife' and that pets were sold near to death.

A number of dogs including six dogs belonging to Doreen Pemberton, were later rehomed along with other animals that were seized.

Doreen Pemberton took over the shop's pet shop licence from her son, Dean Hood, in August 2002 and broke the licence conditions by cramming the shop full with animals.

In January 2003, Havering Council refused to re-issue the licence, but trading still continued even though customers were complaining to the Council.

The licence was finally refused following the raid on the shop. The Court were told that 13 puppies, 2 cats, 5 rabbits and 23 mice were found bagged up in a chest freezer in a separate lock up behind the shop.  Doreen Pemberton of Cassland Road, Hackney claimed that she was not responsible for the death of the animals  and said she was an 'old lady who had been persecuted by the police'.

She was convicted on eight counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and 23 counts of unnecessarily exposing a dog to risk of illness or infection at Havering Magistrates' Court in December 2005.  She was also given a suspended four month jail term at that hearing. 

Comment from puppy_alert

If the public's complaints and concerns about the condition of the puppies and other animals sold were taken more seriously earlier by the Council and RSPCA then this would have had a different outcome.