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‘We’re not being cruel’ say puppy farm owners

7:36am Thursday 25th October 2007

comment Comments (66)   Have your say »


The owners of a puppy farm raided by the RSPCA last week have hit back at allegations of neglect.

Police and RSPCA inspectors stormed the Oak Tree Farm pet shop and kennels in Stanton Lane, Kington St Michael, on October 17, following claims of squalid and cramped conditions.

The owner refused to give her name to the Gazette. However, in July, Sally Griggs put in a restrospective application to North Wiltshire District Council for a change of use to use the residential gypsy site to breed and kennel dogs.

In March this year she applied to the district council for a breeder's licence and for a pet shop. A council officer inspected the site and suggested certain improvements to buildings which were carried out. The site was then inspected again by the council and a vet, and the licence was granted.

The owner this week spoke of her heartache at seeing some of her dogs taken away and the battle she faces to clear her name.

She said: "This has been an absolute nightmare. I love every single puppy here and would never let them come to any harm.

"The 23 dogs the RSPCA have taken away have all been split up and taken to Bath or Bristol - it's heartbreaking to see litters and families broken up.

"They took a mother and her runt puppy from a litter of Cocabichons but left the rest of the puppies who still needed her milk. They've been pining for their mother ever since.

"I begged the RSPCA officers to take a few more dogs to make sure brothers and sisters were kept together.

"They checked over every single other dog we had and gave them clean bills of health. The only crime we were guilty of is having a few more animals than we should have, but that is because I can't bear to see dogs turned away."

An RSPCA spokesman said it was acting on reports from previous customers who were concerned about conditions at the farm, and who claimed the dogs they had bought subsequently needed veterinary treatment.

Sarah Stackman, of Lysley Close, Pewsham, bought her five-month-old cocker spaniel, Marley, from the farm in July.

She said: "Ever since we got Marley we knew something was not quite right and, after getting him checked out, the vet revealed he had kennel cough, mange and an ear infection.

"The vet has told us that the boils under his skin causing the mange could only have been picked up at the kennels.

"I have had to pay out £200 so far in vet bills and he is still ill but battling on."

Mrs Stackman said she has left messages with the farm but is yet to receive a response.

Cathy Angel, who lives in Chippenham, but did not want to give her full address, bought Charlie, a four-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, from the farm in July. She said she has had a large vet's bill for an operation to remove the dog's rotten teeth.

But the pet shop owner said all dogs were sold with a warranty which meant they could be returned within 72 hours. She also highlighted the farm's success in selling an average of 20 puppies every week.

She said: "People don't like the ideas of puppy farms but we get hundreds of calls every week." People always want puppies.

"We are now waiting to hear whether the dogs will come back to us or whether they will be re-homed."

RSPCA investigations are continuing.

Have you had problems with a dog from Oak Tree Farm? Tell us below


Your Say YourThe Wiltshire Gazette and Herald

kathy27, calne says...
9:59am Thu 25 Oct 07

Cathy Angel, who lives in Chippenham, but did not want to give her full address, bought Charlie, a four-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, from the farm in July. She said she has had a large vet's bill for an operation to remove the dog's rotten teeth.

1. I was never asked for my address, and im NOT in chippenham

2.i also said its common for yorkies to have teeth problems.

3. i also said the yorkie was rescued by oak tree, from a breeder that wasnt taking care of it.

4. i also said the farmwas in a clean condition when i went.

5. all the dogs/puppies seemed happy, and the owners were helpful.

guess when you talk to a reporter they only print what they want, or think will make a good story.
i wont be making the same mistake twice.

jb, says...
11:14am Thu 25 Oct 07

Its the Gazette and Herald, Kathy, regular readers know all about it.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story;....or spelling, or grammar, or proofreading, or accuracy.

Tracey, Wilts says...
11:26am Thu 25 Oct 07

I agree jb, but if you put a comment on the site that contains FACTUAL statements, they will remove it! Yet there are certain posters who just abuse and insult others and their comments stay put! Go figure!

Al, Chippers says...
11:34am Thu 25 Oct 07

This mis-reporting seems to be on the increase - perhaps people that are not being acurately quoted, should consult a solicitor!

jb, says...
12:21pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Tracey wrote:
I agree jb, but if you put a comment on the site that contains FACTUAL statements, they will remove it! Yet there are certain posters who just abuse and insult others and their comments stay put! Go figure!
Yes Tracy, seems to me a certain idiot known for its abuse seems to be back under a different name?

Tracey, Wilts says...
1:02pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Oh yes jb - I have already come under his line of fire! I know it's him because he used insults that were very personal!

kathy27, calne says...
1:05pm Thu 25 Oct 07

"Yes Tracy, seems to me a certain idiot known for its abuse seems to be back under a different name?"

I know it doesn't take much..... But im confused !! What idiot??

jb, says...
1:31pm Thu 25 Oct 07


Nothing to do with your story Kathy. Regular users will remember it, I`ll not mention its name in order to deny it the satisfaction. Suffice to say it was a nasty piece of work.

Marley, chippenham says...
1:36pm Thu 25 Oct 07

The article today infers that the Stackmans made a complaint to the authorities, which they did not, and at no time did they mention cruelty, but as the RSPCA raided with the police in tow, it would suggest that they had made previous investigations, I would not have thought they would just burst in somewhere,and seize dogs, without some previous cautions or visits?

kathy27, calne says...
1:39pm Thu 25 Oct 07

jb wrote:
Nothing to do with your story Kathy. Regular users will remember it, I`ll not mention its name in order to deny it the satisfaction. Suffice to say it was a nasty piece of work.
Thats ok then, thought i'd upset someone.

Trace, Corsham says...
2:11pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Oh yes jb - I have already come under his line of fire! I know it's him because he used insults that were very personal!


I agree Tracey we all know who it is and I have also been on the receiving end of him and very insulting and personnel he is too. He certainly lives up to his name. Hes informed me hes on the board!

Tracey, Wilts says...
2:57pm Thu 25 Oct 07

sorry kathy, I was just saying that when people state facts their comments get removed if the G&H don't like it, yet there is a certain idiot who posts on the site that insults people, abuses them, comes up with lewd comments and yet his posts seem to stay! In no way was I implying anything untoward about you!

jb, says...
3:01pm Thu 25 Oct 07

The last line of this story reveals how standards have dropped on the Getzworse. Just Muckraking.For balance they should also ask for comments favourable?
Would they ask if anyone else had been beaten up/robbed/ harmed by the Marlboro toerag featured here recently? No they would not, though it would be a public service if they did.
I am not fond of travellers, and made remarks to that effect here;however when I saw the dogs on the TV news that night,it was obvious that although the conditions there were below par, and not a place I would be happy to buy a dog from, the dogs themselves appeared to be in a reasonable state, not dirty starved or subject to cruelty, just lower standards of breeding and housing than I would want to see.
The woman concerned seems to care about her dogs, perhaps she should take some professional advice about caring for dogs?

kathy27, calne says...
3:30pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Tracey... as i said it doesn't takemuch to confuse me, so i thought id ask, and i totally agree with what you are saying,but i think this conversation has gone to far now for the G&H to pull it now.

jb.i completely agree with what your saying, the farm was clean when i went, and the owner did seem to care for all her puppies, maybe that is the way forwards for them, to work with the rspca.

moonraker1, chippenham says...
3:48pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Lets not get to emotional, a dog is just an animal and should be treated no differently to rats, pigs, cats... dont forget in a lot of countries these dogs may well of ended up on someone plate.

kathy27, calne says...
4:28pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Thank god most people DONT think like you. I love and care for all 5 of my dogs, they are part of my family and would protect them as they would me.

spooks, calne says...
5:22pm Thu 25 Oct 07

This article would do the farm more harm than good.reading the above comments they seem to have a lot of things wrong.

jb, says...
7:50pm Thu 25 Oct 07

but i think this conversation has gone to far now for the G&H to pull it now

Don't you believe it Kathy, we have all seen bigger sets of posts than this wiped out

jb, says...
7:52pm Thu 25 Oct 07

Lets not get to emotional, a dog is just an animal and should be treated no differently to rats, pigs, cats... dont forget in a lot of countries these dogs may well of ended up on someone plate.

All I can say is that more people I meet, the more I love my dogs.

Travis, Chippenham says...
8:26pm Thu 25 Oct 07

kathy27 wrote:
Thank god most people DONT think like you. I love and care for all 5 of my dogs, they are part of my family and would protect them as they would me.
your the sort of person who would want the fire brigade to help a horse out a ditch rather than a child out of a river

kathy27, calne says...
9:10pm Thu 25 Oct 07

You dont know me , so why make such a ridiculous comment. yes i love my dogs, however i love my 3 children and 2 grandchildren MORE, and they ALWAYS come first.

moonraker1, chippenham says...
8:12am Fri 26 Oct 07

I to actually like dogs, esoecially with some fresh spanish tomatos, spinach and fresh garlic bread, washed down with a can of watneys pale ale. yum.

Travis, Chippenham says...
9:18am Fri 26 Oct 07

kathy27 wrote:
You dont know me , so why make such a ridiculous comment. yes i love my dogs, however i love my 3 children and 2 grandchildren MORE, and they ALWAYS come first.
2 grandchildren at 27 kathy...impressive but then you are from calne.

kathy27, calne says...
9:36am Fri 26 Oct 07

LOL. so just because i have 27 in my name, that means its my age, does it? well thankyou i'd love to be 27 again. Also im proud to be from Calne.

The Maxter, Chippenham says...
10:09am Fri 26 Oct 07

Kathy - dont listen to Travis.
Just because it always rains on him, doesn't mean we have to be miserable too!!

mary, cheshire says...
10:17am Fri 26 Oct 07

Selling a dog with mange and and kennel cough is terrible,not only for the poor dog and owners but the all dogs in the community!
I would like to know how thorough the council are when issuing licences,not very by the looks of things? If the seller thinks so much of the dogs in her care WHY did she not know they were sick ?
Have trading standards been informed as they can certainy advise owners on how to get some of their money back.
Why do people pay so much money for a mongrel? Cocabichons ? is that a joke?
Make no mistake people breed dogs for the MONEY,NOTHING ELSE,shame on them all when thousands of dogs are put to sleep in this country every year.
I would ask anyone who has bought a sick pup from these people or anywhere else to visit our website http://www.dogs-r-us
.org/ and join the forum to tell your story to warn other prospective buyers. Only the public can stop this evil trade in misery !

mary, cheshire says...
10:17am Fri 26 Oct 07

Selling a dog with mange and and kennel cough is terrible,not only for the poor dog and owners but the all dogs in the community!
I would like to know how thorough the council are when issuing licences,not very by the looks of things? If the seller thinks so much of the dogs in her care WHY did she not know they were sick ?
Have trading standards been informed as they can certainy advise owners on how to get some of their money back.
Why do people pay so much money for a mongrel? Cocabichons ? is that a joke?
Make no mistake people breed dogs for the MONEY,NOTHING ELSE,shame on them all when thousands of dogs are put to sleep in this country every year.
I would ask anyone who has bought a sick pup from these people or anywhere else to visit our website http://www.dogs-r-us
.org/ and join the forum to tell your story to warn other prospective buyers. Only the public can stop this evil trade in misery !

kathy27, calne says...
10:20am Fri 26 Oct 07

Thank you Maxter, im not the sort to take things to heart anyhow, and his last comment just went to show his mentality. I would still like to be 27 again though. lol

jb, says...
3:15pm Fri 26 Oct 07

Cocabichons ? is that a joke?

No Mary, just a lack of proofreading its par for the course for the Getzworse and Herald

puppylover, cheshire says...
3:25pm Fri 26 Oct 07

jb wrote:
Cocabichons ? is that a joke?

No Mary, just a lack of proofreading its par for the course for the Getzworse and Herald
No jb,I think you will find that is a cross between a cocker spaniel and a bichon and IS A SICK JOKE on the part of the breeder.Designer crosses they are called,just means they can ask more money for the pups than normal with no thought to the welfare or long term health of such a cross.

jb, says...
4:53pm Fri 26 Oct 07

Thank you Mary, thats a new one for me,
Mind you, my dogs don`t seem fussy who they mate with.

Tracey, Wilts says...
7:06pm Fri 26 Oct 07

a bit like some people then jb lol - maybe the world would be a better place if some people were more fussy too, maybe the poor chap from Marlborough would still be alive!

puppylover, cheshire says...
7:51pm Fri 26 Oct 07

jb wrote:
Thank you Mary, thats a new one for me,
Mind you, my dogs don`t seem fussy who they mate with.
Seems there is more than one place trying to make a quick buck out of misery then jb ?If you aren't part of the solution you must be part of the problem?

kathy27, calne says...
8:45pm Fri 26 Oct 07

Its not a case of making a quick buck, accidents do happen. Dogs like alot of people dont care who they mate with, it cost me over £100. to give my **** the morning after jab! After a dog i rescued got to her,(before he had a trip to the vets!) ;-)

moonraker1, chippenham says...
7:56am Sat 27 Oct 07

WHAT !!!! £100 QUID SPENT ON A DOG. someone needs to get their priorities right. ? would you spend £100 on a rat you find hobbling in the sewer.... GET A LIFE A DOG IS NO DIFFERENT TO A RAT it's just a dumn animal.

moonraker1, chippenham says...
7:59am Sat 27 Oct 07

Forgot to add. I wonder how many so called dog lovers wouldnt think twice about spending £100 on your animanl, but moan like mad when you have to spend £6.60 on a perscription for people.


GET A LIFE

puppylover, cheshire says...
8:28am Sat 27 Oct 07

These comments are getting away from the original
purpose,puppy farming is meant to be the issue and someone is doing a good job trying to divert it .The facts remain,OAK TREE farm is selling sick pups ,I have heard of more westies who were sold with problems ,should they now have licence revoked ,YES.

puppylover, cheshire says...
8:32am Sat 27 Oct 07

Forgot to add, its now the councils job to see that the people of Wiltshire are not being swindled so come on DO YOUR JOB!!!
http://www.dogs-r-us
.org/ SAY NO TO PUPPY FARMS!!!

kathy27, calne says...
9:14am Sat 27 Oct 07

Spending money at the vets is all part of being a responsible dog owner. I also have no problem with paying my perscription fees. Just for your info Rats are very intelligent, unlike some people!

jb, says...
12:24pm Sat 27 Oct 07

I look after all my dogs, puppylover, and in the event of any pups I make sure that they get good homes after being weaned, houseand lead trained and vaccinated.
trouble with you is I think you are just getting off on a hysterical rant.Met A lot like you, usually raving at the world from a stall in a High street somewhere

puppylover, cheshire says...
12:46pm Sat 27 Oct 07

Like I said jb,if you are not part of the solution ? why breed when thousands of unwanted dogs are put to sleep every week ?See you in the highstreet .

jb, says...
4:06pm Sat 27 Oct 07

My My you are getting ratty, I don`t breed or sell pups but I see from your web site that you do
All my dogs are from rescue homes, usually DogsTrust. Not sure I`d get one from you with your attitude

puppylover, cheshire says...
5:15pm Sat 27 Oct 07

No I am not ratty mate,takes a bit more than you to get me ratty.Dunno what website you are lookin at but we don't sell dogs.
Also its my understanding Dogs Trust insist you spey or nueter any dog that comes from them, they certainly don't want to add to the stray dog problem ?

kathy27, calne says...
6:49pm Sat 27 Oct 07

Most people i know want a puppy because they can then train it how they want to, not how the last owner wanted it.jb what sort of dogs have you got?

jb, says...
8:01pm Sat 27 Oct 07

Looking at dogs r us in Cheshire, Puppylover, yep all my dogs have been neutered,by the dogs trust when they come from Dogs Trust, where they know me as some one that takes on older dogs with problems now and all the rescue dogs I had in the past. When I did breed from other dogs, I made sure they went to responsible dog lovers, and I kept in touch for most of their lives, in two cases that was 19 years.
Kathy, I am a Jack Russell fan for many years, one of them is a staffy/russell cross, sadly too old to have pups; both rescue dogs with problems from previous life.Now they are just living in comfort, watching strictly come dancing!!So puppylover, please don't lecture me on responsible dog ownership, I have had dogs before you were born.

kathy27, calne says...
8:14pm Sat 27 Oct 07

It seems to me that puppylover is barking up the wrong tree :-)
maybe it would be better for them to talk to people that are not responsible dog owner, rather than those of us that are.

kathy27, calne says...
8:16pm Sat 27 Oct 07

jb...bet the staffy cross russell is sweet, my white gs loves company and eastenders!

puppylover, cheshire says...
8:19pm Sat 27 Oct 07

hey jb ,are you getting ratty mate? I have had rescue dogs for the past 42 years so don't try teach granny to suck eggs. lol

puppylover, cheshire says...
8:22pm Sat 27 Oct 07

kathy 27,I came here to comment on OAK TREE FARM nothing more,its you lot that keep trying to steer away from the subject in question.

jb, says...
9:13pm Sat 27 Oct 07

no you didn't you came here to plug dogs r us.org and whatever connection you have with it;
you obviously have your own agenda.

puppylover, cheshire says...
9:48pm Sat 27 Oct 07

Yes our agenda is to help stamp out puppy farmers and
try to make the public aware not to buy dogs from these places or pet shops,backyard breeders etc and as a member I will do my bit every chance I get. I shall leave you in peace now as you don't seem interested which is strange for a dog lover,so bye now .

spooks, calne says...
11:38pm Sat 27 Oct 07

puppy lover do you have to go ????i was enjoying that.
as for plugging why not go to www.calnetalk.com
ok plug over.
with regards to the woman who sold the dog she was wrong in doing it.those who have criticised kathy over her dogs shame on you .

kathy27, calne says...
11:51pm Sat 27 Oct 07

puppylover wrote:
kathy 27,I came here to comment on OAK TREE FARM nothing more,its you lot that keep trying to steer away from the subject in question.
Thanks spooks, but i knew the dog i took would have a better home with me, and like ive said so many times before here the farm was in a good clean conditin when i went, as for the dog i got, oak tree RESCUED the dog from another breeder that wasnt giving it the care it needed, so taking the dog from a bad situation and putting it into a good one. As for "puppylover" check who you have been talking to, because it hasnt been me, so please dont get on your soap box with me. ALL 5 of my dogs are loved and cared for.

franny86, calne says...
3:29pm Sun 28 Oct 07

my partner purchased a west highland terrier from there for my birthday. have to say we looked at alot of dogs there and i acn assure you if anything was wrong we would of walked away and gained advice from local authorities this however was not the case. all the dogs were friendly even the weideramer who was being rehomed due to biting a postman lol. the cages were all clean the dogs were all groomed some were even in play pens outside due to the weather being nice. the staff were friendly and extremely helpful with our choosing of the correct dog for us. not sure if it is possible for standards to drop that far in such a short amount of time. the people that were unhappy with their choice have the chance to return the dog after being examined by a vet ref the rotton teeth have you been in contact to see if any of the other litter had the same problem if this is the case then maybe you didnt see the right parents to the dog because that would be on my list of things to check. vet bills can be handled with pet insurance not a problem and any sane person would have this due to the cost of vet bills but then again if the dog has kennel cough and/or mange then maybe the vets need to be visited by the RSPCA for not picking that up on the first examination if one took place at all.

kathy27, calne says...
4:18pm Sun 28 Oct 07

"the people that were unhappy with their choice have the chance to return the dog after being examined by a vet ref the rotton teeth have you been in contact to see if any of the other litter had the same problem if this is the case then maybe you didnt see the right parents to the dog because that would be on my list of things to check."

If you read what i wrote properly, you would see that i said OAK TREE RESCUED MY YORKIE FROM A SO CALLED BREEDER THAT WAS NOT TAKING CARE OF THERE DOGS. so giving the poor little chap a chance of a BETTER life. I also pointed out that OAK TREE WAS IN GOOD CLEAN CONDITION WHEN I WENT...I WAS INFACT STICKING UP FOR THE FARM,yes there is more that can be done to improve any farm, however i think they do care enough to want to improve.

As for insurance, i have 5 dogs and a cat, so it would cost a fortune to insure them all, so i pay my vet each week a set amount, so if any of my animals are ill, they can have treatment without worrying if the insurance will pay out.

jb, says...
9:39pm Sun 28 Oct 07

well said Cathy, I sometimes think that the Rspca are a bit too big for their boots; why did they not check out oak tree as a matter of course before all this and then advise them instead of this taking heavy handed approach.
Maybe because it looked good on the telly?
I`m feeling quite sympathetic to oaktree after all this.

kathy27, calne says...
10:08pm Sun 28 Oct 07

I know in some cases the rspca are needed but in other cases i think they go in feet first, guess we wont really know if oak tree had visits before all of this, all i can go on is how i found them, and that was fine.

Tracey, Wilts says...
10:14am Mon 29 Oct 07

I contacted the RSPCA when my old neighbours had their dog shut up in a shed outside. They would put him in at about 7pm and let him out at 8am - that's a long time for a dog to be shut away. He used to bark and howl constantly, a happy dog doesn't do this. We started to notice that if it was raining they wouldn't let the dog out as it meant getting wet to get to him! One day, they came home from work after leaving the dog shut away due to the weather and he was dead. They didn't take him to the vet, they took him to their friends farm and buried him next to the river!! He was a lovely dog, a black lab about 4 years old - he deserved better but the RSPCA couldn't be bothered to investigate, then it was too late!

jb, says...
12:24pm Mon 29 Oct 07

you should have got the TV people in Tracey, Rspca like being on telly.

moonraker1, chippenham says...
1:36pm Mon 29 Oct 07

I see they were selling Hot Dogs at lacock the other day. should I have called the RSPCA.

jb, says...
8:19pm Mon 29 Oct 07

only if they were being mustardized

shelley, Tetbury says...
7:54pm Wed 14 Nov 07

I have just brought a lovely yellow lab from Oak Tree Farm and the conditions there were great! we took our puupy to the vet and he said we had a very healthy dog!! i think they are doing a great job and were very helpful! i think people should give them a break and realise how hard it is to care for these animals and they are doing a fantastic job.

rubyroo, portsmouth says...
8:21pm Sat 17 Nov 07


We bought a blue rhone from Oak Tree Farm at the end of August 07. She had kennel cough and needed a vet as soon as we got her home. She had feeding problems as well. We felt that the farm delayed our arrival by not given the correct address in order to clean the place up first. The pups mum was filthy and couped up in a small space with several other large dogs. Our pup had excrement on her head. There was another puppy which looked pretty ill, but the owner said it was just tired. Our so called blue rhone has a distinct red tinge to her coat. We would not have taken her back to prevent distress to our daughter. It certainly gave the impression of being a business. Our puppy is petrified of everything. The farm need adhoc visits by the authorities.

greentrees, chippenham says...
10:26am Mon 26 Nov 07

please can anyone visit bath claverton down where the puppies are being held, see what you think of the conditions there you might be shocked the signs are up they are not for rehoming, the golden puppy that was taken has been destroyed and the rspca are under investigation as it happened in their care and the mother was returned also visit the link
and see what happens there quite an eyeopener

www.walk-wales.org.u
k/rspcakillspetagain
.hmtl

shez, andover says...
7:48pm Thu 10 Apr 08

We purchased a jack russell from the Oak Tree Farm and had endless problems with her, she was in and out of vets constantly, she had kennel cough and stomach upsets when we got her. We thought the farm was fairly clean but thought it was strange that we did'nt see the mother of the puppy? Many told us that she didnt look like a pure jack russell. Now she is all well and growing up fast!

megzffaf, wiltshire says...
4:36pm Thu 25 Sep 08

Me and my partner bought our 4 year old westie from Oak Tree, and there was no problem there at all, as fair as we could see all dogs were kept in clean, spacious kennels and were well looked after. Our dog was healthy when we got and obvioously still is now and we have never had one problem with her. I would recommend Oak tree to all my friends as they were friendly, helpful and knew about animals and were kind to them. Which is far more than i can say for some places.

Comments are closed on this article.

These Bichon Frise puppies are said to be pining for their mother and sister Mike Stackman with Marley the cocker spaniel who was found to have kennel cough, mange and an ear infection after they bought him

These Bichon Frise puppies are said to be pining for their mother and sister

Mike Stackman with Marley the cocker spaniel who was found to have kennel cough, mange and an ear infection after they bought him



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