A dog breeder who had 24 animals stolen in one raid on her Kislingbury kennels says she is “devastated” by the theft.
Mary Farren of Brookside Kennels in Banbury Road said: “It is like my children have gone. I am devastated not knowing where they have gone.
“There had been some suspicious vans parked nearby here since Christmas. People think they have seen the dogs at Billing Aquadrome and in Broughton.
“We lost 12 adults and 12 puppies in the end. They took one mother but her litter was hiding behind her basket. I am heartbroken.”
When the news broke at the start of April, Mary had to endure the additional heartache of people accusing her of running a puppy farm on social media.
“I am a breeder but when you love them, you keep them and then they end up having pups in turn. They were so loved. People are very quick to judge.
“If you look at the quality of my dogs they are healthy. I have worked with dogs a long time.
I grew up on a farm near Cork. I know all my dogs so well.
“Anyone who knows me would tell you how well the dogs are looked after. They had everything they needed.”
The thieves broke into the premises between 10pm on Tuesday, 28 March and 9.30am on Wednesday, 29 March, taking the dogs and puppies with them.
They broke padlocks to access the kennels and are believed to have cut through fencing to get to the location.
The dogs taken included:
- A female red Cocker Spaniel with six Cockerpoo puppies, aged six weeks
- A female white/cream Cockerpoo, leaving behind a litter of puppies
- Two pregnant female Schnauzers
- A female black and tan King Charles Cavalier
- A red and white King Charles Cavalier
- A female Sable Cocker Spaniel with six chocolate and black Sable puppies
- A female red Cocker Spaniel who was very heavily pregnant
- A male black Toy Poodle
Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.
