Two people running a dog breeding business in the Banbury area have received custodial sentences and fines for unlicensed dog breeding and animal cruelty.
Published: Monday, 15th September 2025
At a hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on Friday, 12 September, Sonia Black of Banbury and Jason Walsh of Reading were sentenced to 22 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. They were given 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £4,154 in costs each after pleading guilty to two offences.
The offences, which occurred between January 2019 and August 2024, include breeding dogs and advertising a business selling dogs without a licence, and animal cruelty. The case was brought to court following an investigation by Cherwell District Council’s licensing team.
Over a four-year period, Sonia Black and Jason Walsh had bred and sold at least 116 puppies illegally. In one instance, a Doberman in their care went into labour and they did not seek veterinary support for over 12 hours. This resulted in one puppy being born deceased and unnecessary suffering to the mother.
Councillor Rob Parkinson, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities: “Unlicensed dog breeders and sellers have no place in our community. Their presence is detrimental to animals under their care and residents who unknowingly purchase their pets from them.
“This case is horrendous and highlights the devastating consequences of people illegally breeding dogs. Unlicensed breeders and premises are not inspected and therefore not regulated to the standards required by the Animal Welfare Act. Not meeting such standards can put pets and people at risk of harm and, consequently, purchasers at risk of emotional distress and financial harm.
“I would like to thank our licensing team for successfully shutting down this operation and preventing any other dogs from coming to harm at the hands of the two defendants.”
The judge also handed down a ban to Black and Walsh, preventing them from keeping dogs.