Moment 77 starving dogs rescued from Crufts winning breeder's house of horrors

Metro Published Jun 29, 2026 Reviewed Jul 2, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

She received a twelve‑month suspended sentence, was ordered to pay £10,000 in prosecution costs, and barred from owning dogs for ten years.

12 months · suspended sentence10000 GBP · prosecution costs10 years · dog‑ownership ban Cardiff Crown Court, court

Seventy‑seven emaciated dogs, including twenty puppies, were found in the home.

77 · dogs rescued20 · puppies rescued Animal welfare officers, officers

Cooper pleaded guilty to eleven animal‑welfare offences.

11 · offences Lynda Cooper, defendant

A further fifty‑four dogs were rescued by ALW and Torfaen Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards teams.

54 · dogs rescued Animal Licensing Wales (ALW) and Torfaen Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards teams, licensing and trading standards teams

77 emaciated dogs, including 20 puppies were found at Lynda Cooper's home

77 · dogs20 · puppies

Cooper pleaded guilty to 11 animal welfare offences

11 · offences Lynda Cooper, defendant

Cooper was handed a 12-month suspended sentence

12 months · sentence Court, judge

Cooper was ordered to pay £10,000 in prosecution costs

10000 £ · prosecution costs Court, judge

Cooper will not be allowed to own dogs for ten years

10 years · prohibition period Court, judge

Lynda Cooper was banned from owning dogs for a decade

10 years · prohibition period Court, judge

Lynda Cooper had won six awards at Crufts in 2016.

6 · awards Lynda Cooper, former Crufts champion

Volunteers from animal charity Hope Rescue made the discovery in 2024.

2024 year · discovery Volunteers, from animal charity Hope Rescue

Cooper surrendered 23 dogs at first.

23 dogs · surrendered Lynda Cooper

Animal Licensing Wales (ALW) and Torfaen Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards teams rescued a further 54 dogs.

54 dogs · rescued Animal Licensing Wales (ALW) and Torfaen Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards teams, rescuers

The raid on her Pontypool home occurred eight years after her Crufts wins.

8 years · time between award and raid article

Lynda Cooper was 74 years old

74 years · age

Lynda Cooper had won six awards at Crufts in 2016

6 · awards

The raid happened eight years later

8 years · time elapsed

Volunteers from Hope Rescue were first on the scene after making the discovery in 2024

2024 year · discovery year

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A former Crufts champion has avoided jail after nearly a hundred caged dogs were found living in destitution at her home.

Lynda Cooper has been banned from owning dogs for a decade after 77 emaciated dogs, including 20 puppies, were found some close-to-death.

The 74-year-old had won six awards at Crufts in 2016 with her Bracco Italiano gun dog but just a eight years later her Pontypool home was being raided by animal welfare officers.

Shocking images show the squalid conditions the ‘significantly underweight’ animals were surviving in. Many were suffering from ear and dental infections.

Ribs are showing on many of the animals as others shiver in cages, in the black, unhealthy conditions.

Volunteers from animal charity Hope Rescue were the first on the scene after making the discovery in 2024.

Cooper surrendered 23 dogs at first but officers were concerned at the unhealthy nature of the home.

They returned alongside Animal Licensing Wales (ALW) and Torfaen Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards teams and rescued a further 54 dogs from the squalor.

Sara Rosser, head of operations at Hope Rescue, said Cooper’s case was ‘one of the most challenging and distressing’ they had ever encountered.

‘On arrival with us the dogs were in a devastating state – severely underweight, many suffering from advanced dental disease and chronic ear infections.

‘Older dogs had lost muscle mass and mobility, and were so physically depleted they were unable to reach food before the younger dogs. Many, especially the younger dogs, were very nervous and lacking in life experience so required additional support and rehabilitation.’

Cooper pleaded guilty to 11 animal welfare offences and breeding dogs without a licence, including causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the welfare needs of animals in her care at a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on 19 June.

Cooper was handed a 12-month suspended sentence, ordered to pay £10,000 in prosecution costs, and will not be allowed to own dogs for ten years.

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