'My birthday gift unknowingly funded dog abuse'

Allison Briers said she felt "sick to the stomach" that her £125 voucher was "complicit" in the mistreatment dogs

A woman who was gifted a voucher for a viral golden retriever petting experience said she's "distraught" after "unknowingly funding" mistreatment of dogs.

Allison Briers, from Nottingham, got a £125 voucher for the now closed down viral Golden Retriever Experience in West Somerset near Minehead for her birthday.

The site offered play and petting sessions with around 30 dogs to paying visitors but the owner was recently banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after some of the animals died in his care.

A spokesperson for the Golden Retriever Experience said: "There has been a high volume of enquiries regarding gift cards, and we are currently assessing the situation."

Following the removal of the licence, the dogs were rescued by the RSPCA and have now all been fostered

The experience, which garnered millions of views on social media - had its licence revoked by Somerset Council following a police and RSPCA investigation in May 2024.

The animal charity said the dogs were kept in unclean and overcrowded conditions, with little access to fresh water.

Ms Briers said she "felt sick to the stomach" after finding out about the ban.

"As an animal lover, who's owned four rescue dogs, the fact that the £125 contributed to and enabled them to abuse the dogs," she said.

"It's been devastating to see what happened to these poor dogs.

"It's not about getting the refund, it's what the money has enabled them to do. I feel complicit in the abuse of these poor dogs."

Ms Briers was gifted the voucher for the golden retriever experience in Somerset in October 2022 for her birthday by work colleagues.

The RSPCA said the dogs were found in overcrowded conditions

After a family emergency, Ms Briers was unable to book within the 12 months limit so she emailed the company and they responded "not to worry" about the expiry date and get in touch at a later date.

On the website for the now defunct Golden Retriever Experience, in it's Terms and Conditions it says gift cards are non-refundable.

Nicolas St James, 62, was handed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, at North Somerset Magistrates' Court in Weston-super-Mare earlier this month.

A spokesperson for the attraction added on gift voucher refunds that they're "unable to comment further pending legal advice".