A Crufts-winning dog breeder and pet boarder kept more than 100 animals in stinking, dirty and inadequate conditions, York Magistrates' Court heard.

Inspectors found scores of dogs and three cats at Linda Moran’s kennels and cattery in North Yorkshire being cared for so badly, they immediately revoked her dog breeding and dog and cat boarding licences.

But she can continue to look after dogs and cats after magistrates decided against making her subject to an animal ban.

Amy Wennington, prosecuting for North Yorkshire Council, said its inspectors and a vet found more than 100 dogs at Moran’s premises in accommodation reeking of urine, with piles of dog poo, missing or inadequate bedding, contaminated or no water and signs that they had not been exercised or groomed and didn’t have access to play items.

Some of the dogs had matted and filthy hair. 

There were also three cats, two of which were in such poor medical condition they had to be put down.

Moran, of A1 Boarding Kennels and Cattery, Gatherly Road, Brompton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to six charges of breaching her licence conditions - two involving having too many dogs without sufficient staff to look after them, two of keeping dogs in unfit accommodation and not caring correctly for them and two of not providing toys, socialising opportunities and grooming.

York magistrates heard she exhibited her own dogs and won awards at dog shows around the country, including two at Crufts 2022, six months before the first of two inspections.

For her, John Goodwin said: “Her whole life centres around the love and care of dogs.”

Conditions at the kennels and cattery had deteriorated because she had taken in a lot of rescue dogs after the pandemic.

“She just couldn’t say no and matters overwhelmed her,” he said. Her husband John, who was also on the dog breeding licence, had moved to Spain for a better climate as he has terminal lung cancer.

Moran is now working with the RSPCA to reduce the number of dogs on her site and to ensure they are looked after properly, said the solicitor.

She now has 22 dogs and is expecting to reduce the number to 17 in the next six months. She is not taking in rescue dogs, said the solicitor. 

He handed in an expert’s report giving details of conditions at the kennels and cattery in July 2023, which concluded that Linda Moran could look after dogs properly.

Magistrates ordered her to pay a total of £3,190, consisting of £2,100 fines, a £840 statutory surcharge and £250 prosecution costs.

They declined a prosecution application to ban her from keeping animals.

They said Moran had taken sufficient action to ensure that she was addressing the issues that had given rise to the prosecution and she was no longer taking in rescue dogs.

John Moran, who was not present in court, but pleaded guilty by letter to three charges of breaching the boarding licence regarding the number of dogs on the premises, their living conditions and their care, was fined £1,050 and ordered to pay a £420 statutory surcharge and £250 prosecution costs. 

Stephen Laidlaw, of the same address as Linda Moran, was not present in court and did not enter a plea to three charges of breaching the breeding licence.  The court heard that although he jointly held the breeding licence with Linda Moran, the council's inspectors had never seen him on the site.

He was convicted in his absence and was ordered to pay a £1,500 fine, a £600 statutory surcharge and £250 prosecution costs.