In a significant development for animal welfare, Mr. Tristan Gosling of Whitemoor Equestrian Centre, East Anstey, Devon EX16 9JS, faced legal consequences for unlicensed dog breeding. The hearing took place on Friday, 1 March, at Barnstaple Magistrates Court.

Between September 19, 2023, and September 28, 2023, Mr. Gosling was found responsible for breeding dogs without the required licence and selling animals as pets in the course of a business without proper authorisation contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Despite being unable to attend the hearing, Mr. Gosling submitted a guilty plea reply form, confirming his acknowledgement of the charges.

During the hearing, magistrates received statements from North Devon Council’s licensing officer, which detailed evidence of the offences. In attendance the licensing officer highlighted the unlawful activities and answered questions from the bench. The officer confirmed the licence application requirements. Details about the state of the buildings at Mr. Gosling's property and the new Defra requirements were also presented.

Chair of the Licensing and Community Safety Committee at North Devon Council, Cllr Louisa York says: “Licensing allows us to undertake checks on a business to ensure that all welfare standards are being met, and animals are leading healthy, happy, and safe lives. I’m pleased we got this outcome, which hopefully sends the message to other people that we take animal welfare extremely seriously."

In Mr. Gosling's absence, magistrates found him guilty on all counts. The verdict included fines for each offence, a victim surcharge, and prosecution costs, totalling £10,059.76.