Unlicensed Dog Breeder Receives Animal Ownership Ban

An individual has been prohibited from owning animals for a period of three years, following his admission of guilt to charges of breeding dogs without the required license. Investigations determined that Paulo Esteves, aged 62, generated £17,500 from 2022 to 2023 through the sale of puppy litters to the public. Investigators from King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council discovered German shepherds suffering from health issues, as well as a dog requiring proximity to her offspring. Esteves, whose previous address was Elm High Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, also received a court order to complete 300 hours of community service and to pay £4,000 in court costs at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court. Jim Moriarty, the cabinet member responsible for licensing, stated that Esteves impeded investigators during a search conducted in August 2023. “When the warrant was executed he attempted to hide one of the seven mobile phones seized in his microwave,” Mr Moriarty said. “He ignored earlier warnings that he required a license to carry out his business and needed to look after the wellbeing of his dogs.”