By Jordan Coussins,Swnsed ed Chatterton

Copyright birminghammail

This is what local authority officials discovered when they raided the Midland home of a couple making big money from selling dogs. In an operation reminisant of Cruella deVille Ian Wilson, 76, and his spouse Susan, 71, confined dozens of animals in cages before administering drugs to accelerate their breeding cycles. And the heartless couple were raking it in on the back of the pooches, earning more than £100,000. Read more: 22 Birmingham streets where cars are banned Environmental health inspectors have shared pictures of what they found at the shocking illegal puppy farm in Hednesford. When they arrived, they found more than 60 dogs in appalling “rancid” and “filthy” circumstances. However, the pair managed to avoid a prison term. Dozens of dogs were crammed into a normal-looking two-bedroom property. The court was told they generated £105,000 from unlawfully breeding predominantly Chihuahuas and flogging them online between 2017 and 2019 – falsely claiming they were household companions. Environmental health inspectors described the “horrifying” enterprise as being “motivated by greed” and “the worst case of animal neglect” they had ever witnessed. Disturbing body-cam footage reveals the appalling circumstances the animals were enduring – with every space contaminated with excrement and urine. This even included the couple’s bedroom where they slumbered in the same space as the puppy-producing canines. The duo had previously admitted guilt to operating an unlawful puppy farm whilst Mr Wilson also confessed to fraud and money laundering charges. However, they escaped custody after receiving suspended sentences at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday (22/9). During sentencing, Judge Andrew Smith KC informed them both would have faced imprisonment were it not for their deteriorating health conditions. He stated: “Both of your sentences pass the custody threshold. “You were prompted by the local authority to get a licence, which you did not apply for. “You consistently bred and sold puppies, between March 2017 and October 2019 you placed 135 adverts for puppies. “To disguise the size of the operation you used different emails and names. “You bought hormone drugs to increase the female productivity. You bought dogs and pretended they were family pets. “When your home was searched there were 60 dogs, the conditions were wholly inappropriate, in sodden faeces and urine. “There was no evidence of veterinary services over the time you bred puppies. You Susan lied about a puppy being vaccinated. “This was a profitable enterprise. You have shown no remorse.” Mr Wilson was handed a 22-month suspended sentence and ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation days. Mrs Wilson received a 20-month suspended sentence and was also ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation days. Both were slapped with a criminal behaviour order for three years. Prosecutor Mark Jackson painted a grim picture of what officers from Cannock Chase District Council discovered upon entering the house. He said: “The dogs were kept in rancid and absolute filthy conditions. “There were bitches with their puppies all over the house. “They made a huge amount of money selling the puppies online, claiming they were family pets. “They purchased non-prescription hormone treatment in order to increase the reproductive productivity of their breeding bitches. “That of course was not an expense incurred for the benefit of the dogs and puppies, it was an investment for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of these defendants. “Such was the scale of the defendants illegal breeding operation; they even had a pet incubator. “The majority of the female adult Chihuahua dogs examined presented with enlarged mammary glands which suggested repetitive breeding.” Mohammed Khan, representing Mr Wilson, said: “He is 76-years-of-age, had hip replacement on right hand side and is awaiting on left hand side, the ulcers on his legs have turned into sepsis and he has heart disease as well as COPD. “Both defendants look after each other. He is of previous good character and has been a true animal lover throughout his life. “He had not understood the gravity of his offending but he does now and wishes things had been different.” Mr Khan also informed the court the pair were dependent on benefits and still owed £84,000 on their property and would be unable to pay costs or a fine. Neil Gherety, representing Mrs Wilson, said: “She is 71-years-old and has no previous convictions. “She is in declining health, with hyper-tension, had strokes and has type two diabetes. “This case has created publicity which has seen a massive backlash against the couple on social media.” The couple vehemently denied the allegations of drugging their dogs outside the court. Mrs Wilson stated: “We did not give any dogs drugs. This was made up by Cannock Chase District Council. “They read one text message and that was it. “What was said in court was totally wrong. What they said about our house was also disgusting and wrong. “And we never made £105,000, we spent over £90,000 on vet’s bills and other costs, so we could not have made that amount of money.” Mr Wilson added: “The incubator was for dogs we rescued. We have saved so many dogs over the years. “And because of what was said in court we have had strokes because of the stress.” Councillor John Preece, portfolio leader for environment and climate change, commented after the hearing: “This was the worst case of animal neglect our environmental health officers have encountered. “Motivated purely by greed, Ian Wilson and Sue Wilson went to great lengths to mask their offending and to deceive the people they sold the dogs to. “The only good story to come from this is that every dog was successfully rehomed and, six years on, are in loving homes. “We really have cracked down on this activity in Cannock Chase district but no doubt there are more unlicensed breeders and sellers out there. “To anyone involved in this despicable activity – it’s only a matter of time until our environmental health officers are putting your door through next.”