Hull American bulldog breeders banned after puppies found emaciated

Three of the six puppies found with spinal deformities have now been rehomed, the RSPCA says

Two American bulldog breeders have been banned from keeping animals for life.

Stephanie Boyd, 42, and Daniel Jordan, 36, were convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to six puppies who had spinal deformities from malnourishment, the RSPCA said.

The pair, both of Uxbridge Grove in Hull, were sentenced at Hull Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The charity said just three of the puppies survived and had been rehomed.

Boyd and Jordan were given four-month prison sentences, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay costs of £400 each.

According to the RSPCA, the court heard a man took six emaciated puppies - three male and one female, all around four months - to a rescue centre in December 2022, claiming his child found them abandoned in the street.

The RSPCA were called but, despite veterinary care, two puppies died overnight and a third was put to sleep soon after.

The breeders were identified through media coverage but, when the RSPCA visited the couple's address, Boyd said six puppies had been rehomed to a man she had no details of.

The examining vet said the puppies had most likely suffered malnutrition and limited exercise for "a prolonged period", and had "no muscle mass and bony prominences visible under the skin."

All were emaciated with a hunched posture, curved spines and fleas. The vet said they could have been in that condition for up to half of their lives.

"In my opinion the puppies were suffering for a minimum of two weeks to get into the condition they were in, but likely longer, possibly up to two months," she said.

The three remaining puppies had made a full recovery and had been rehomed, the RSPCA said.