Bolney kennel owners prosecuted by Mid Sussex District Council under animal welfare regulations

Mid Sussex District Council has announced that it has successfully prosecuted the owners of Wolstonbury Kennels in Bolney after they were found to have breached their licensing conditions.
By Lawrence Smith
Published 4th Apr 2023, 14:58 GMT
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The district council said that Mr Tony Steer and his wife Michelle Steer were licenced to provide boarding kennels for up to 30 dogs at Wolstonbury Kennels, Homewood House.

But the council said that when MSDC licensing officers inspected the kennels in August 2022, they discovered more than double the number of dogs permitted.

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The council added that dogs from different households were sharing kennel units, while boarded dogs were housed in the same kennel block as stray dogs, and said there were missing registration and vaccination records.

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Mid Sussex District Council said that Mr Tony Steer and his wife Michelle, the owners of Wolstonbury Kennels in Bolney, were found guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court of seven offences under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Photo: Google Street ViewMid Sussex District Council said that Mr Tony Steer and his wife Michelle, the owners of Wolstonbury Kennels in Bolney, were found guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court of seven offences under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Photo: Google Street View
Mid Sussex District Council said that Mr Tony Steer and his wife Michelle, the owners of Wolstonbury Kennels in Bolney, were found guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court of seven offences under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Photo: Google Street View

A Mid Sussex District Council spokesperson said: “Families trust that licensed businesses will look after their pets, and the minimum we expect is they meet and maintain basic welfare standards for the animals in their care.”

The council said it offered to work with Mr and Mrs Steer so they could comply with the regulations. But they said that during a reinspection in September 2022, licensing officers found the issues were still evident.

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Mid Sussex District Council said it has prosecuted Mr and Mrs Steer for ‘continued breaches of animal welfare requirements’ and said the licence for Wolstonbury Kennels was changed to remove permission for boarding dogs.

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A district council spokesperson said: “On 28 March 2023, Mr Tony Steer and Mrs Michelle Steer were found guilty at Crawley Magistrates’ Court of seven offences under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The Magistrates’ Court fined Mr and Mrs Steer a total of £2180, including the Council’s costs.”

A council spokesperson added: “The majority of kennels in Mid Sussex take great pride in ensuring the animals they home are well cared for. However, if the Council finds any business is not complying with animal welfare regulations, we will not hesitate to take action to ensure that licence holders comply with the law.”

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