Copyright abc
A Queensland dog breeder has been accused of selling puppies with broken teeth, gunky eyes, lice and hookworms, years after being fined for failing to care for animals. Several customers of Mount Tarampa breeder Rebecca Cox told the ABC they bought their dogs out of "sympathy" after visiting the rural property. Some customers alleged they later noticed the animals had health issues. Several of them have lodged complaints with the RSPCA or other agencies. But when asked by the ABC about the dogs she bred, Cox said she would have "apologised and paid the bill" if any buyers had contacted her with their concerns. 'A weaker puppy would have died' Cox has several websites and social media pages, which advertise cocker spaniels, Belgian malinois, German shepherds, spoodles, labradoodles, cockapoos, cavoodles and other breeds under different business names. But it was through online marketplace Gumtree that Ashleigh Michel first connected with Cox and purchased a cocker spaniel puppy from her in 2023. Ms Michel said the dog looked to be in good health at the property, but it wasn't long before she noticed it appeared to have health issues. She said hours after she took the puppy home, his tummy "swelled up like a balloon" when her partner tried to feed it a small amount of kibble. "It was just this teeny tiny thing with this bloated tummy like he was pregnant with 12 puppies or something," Ms Michel told ABC News. Ms Michel said when she took the dog to the vet the next day, she was told he had worms and ear mites. An invoice from her vet shows the puppy had a faecal flotation test, which is used to diagnose worms or parasites. He was also treated with all-wormer and ear drops. In a message seen by the ABC, Ms Michel flagged her concerns with Cox at the time. Cox replied that she was sorry, offered to pay the bill, and said that sometimes the dogs "manage to spit a wormer out". When asked about Ms Michel's dog, Cox told the ABC, "Ear mite(s) do happen — you can't visually see them but NexGard spectra [medication] treats them." Another customer, Brooke Manning, said she also found Cox on Gumtree. In 2022, she bought a German shepherd puppy from Cox at a "reduced rate" of $500. Cox said this was a "significant discount" as the sale was during the COVID-19 period when her puppies were typically priced between $2,500 and $5,000. She said she advertised the puppy for less because it had an underbite, which the dog eventually outgrew. A week after buying the puppy, Ms Manning said she took the dog to the vet when she noticed its gums were swollen and the left canine teeth were chipped and discoloured. The ABC contacted Ms Manning's vet, who confirmed the dog had presented with these issues but described them as "minor". They also noted that the puppy's elbows were swollen, which was "likely caused by the dog lying on hard surfaces", such as concrete. Ms Manning claimed she "knew nothing" about those issues when she bought the dog. Cox told the ABC any medical issues she was aware of at the time of the sale "would have been clearly disclosed both in the advertisement and again at pick-up". "I don't recall this particular puppy having swollen elbows, and I've found no record of any follow-up from the owner after pick-up," she said. "If a tooth was broken, it likely occurred after she went home — otherwise, it would have been noticed straight away." Breeder says she requested RSPCA inspection Emily Bousen was not planning on buying a dog the day she arrived at the Mount Tarampa property in 2023. She had wanted to look at the dogs first, before committing to purchasing one. But she said she felt so sorry for one cocker spaniel puppy that she took it home. "When I got there … he was covered in dog lice," she said. "He had some gunky eyes, so I gave him drops, and he had a sore ear, so I put some stuff in there." Cox said if she had been contacted with a vet report, she "would have apologised and paid the bill". "Every now and then, I have an issue with bird lice on the dogs that fall out of the lovely big shade trees in the exercise yards," she said. A fourth woman, who asked not to be identified, said she bought a puppy from Cox in 2021 for $4,500. She provided vet bills to the ABC, from two days after purchasing the dog, which showed the puppy had "acute diarrhoea" and that a "faecal floatation revealed [a] significant amount of strongyloid eggs [which was] likely hookworm". The dog was prescribed Milbemax, which treats roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. The woman said she believed there were too many dogs on the property. Cox defended her cleanliness standards. She said, "poo is removed daily, water buckets are cleaned and refilled daily [and] dog bed and toys are replaced as necessary." The breeder sent the ABC text messages between her and the woman, which showed she was aware of claims about the hookworms and that she had refunded the woman $714 concerning various health issues. The breeder also said she had requested an inspection by the RSPCA "to put people's minds[s] at ease", and she aims to keep all dogs as "safe, healthy and disease-free as possible". "My dogs and pups are on regular worming schedules. On occasion, if someone manages to spit out a worming tablet, it is possible to see a worm dead after the next worming or a minor faecal count in the case of hookworm." Historic animal welfare charges Cox was previously registered with the ethical breeding platform RightPaw, as well as Dogs Queensland and Master Dog Breeders and Associates. A RightPaw spokesperson said Cox was removed after they received two complaints about her. "We can certainly confirm that she was removed on Jan 19, 2024, and was made aware of the reasons for removal." Cox said she was not aware of the issue with RightPaw and "must have missed the email". Dogs Queensland and MDBA confirmed that Cox was not a current member, but would not be drawn on when her membership ended or why this occurred. "While we are unable to provide specific details of these individual members' details due to privacy and legal constraints, I can confirm that Rebecca Dawn Cox [is] not [a] current [member] of Dogs Queensland," a Dogs Queensland spokesperson said. An MDBA spokesperson said Cox's "membership was removed for a breach of our rules [but it was] not welfare related". When asked to respond to the allegations, Cox said "both didn't like that I have a development program for Spoodles as a therapy dog breed … and MDBA didn't know about the old charges". In October 2020, Cox was fined $750 after pleading guilty to one count each of failing to provide appropriate living conditions and treatment, as well as failing to comply with an animal welfare direction. At the time, she owned 84 German shepherd dogs and puppies, four poodle dogs, 10 horses and one cat. Cox was restricted from possessing, purchasing or acquiring dogs until after October 15, 2025, unless approved by the RSPCA. Court documents, seen by the ABC, said the RSPCA received numerous complaints about animals on the property. "Information was received [in 2019] that there was a large number of dogs confined to small crates inside the shed or enclosed in runs … The dogs were living in their own faeces. Some dogs were in poor condition and were underweight," the documents read. The documents said the RSPCA inspectors then checked the property, and found while some dogs were in good condition, others allegedly did not have appropriate access to water, bedding or enrichment and could not display normal patterns of behaviour. "[A dog called Khan] appeared potbellied, suggestive of internal parasites", and some puppies had alopecia on their faces, according to the documents. However, the documents noted that Cox had cooperated with RSPCA inspectors, attempted to comply with animal welfare directions and was ultimately "compliant." Cox said the case was "mostly about dirty water buckets", which her dogs swim in, "soft beds and toys … a dog in a crate and a vet trip I hadn't booked yet". "I agree that at 84 [dogs], it was hard to keep up with all the work, but I worked with the RSPCA to fix the issues they found and I'm very proud of my dogs and pups and what they go out into the world to do." The restrictions placed on Cox have now expired. Cox told the ABC she presently has in her care: Three malinoisOne cavoodleThree spoodles Six cocker spaniels Two Dutch shepherds14 German shepherdsOne labradoodle Six toy poodles She said she was also caring for three German shepherds and one Dutch shepherd on behalf of somebody else. "This is my full time occupation, and I invest heavily in structured management, research into bloodlines and working traits, health testing, enrichment, and welfare-focused practices. "While no breeder, breeding program, or dog is ever completely perfect, and from time to time issues can naturally arise, I address anything that comes up promptly, fairly, and responsibly, with welfare as the priority." A spokesperson from RSPCA Queensland said they "cannot comment on individual cases while investigations may be ongoing".
