Owner of 'Britain's smallest dog' guilty of cruelty

A woman who once told a national newspaper she owned Britain's smallest dog has been sentenced for running a cruel and illegal breeding operation.

Cherwell District Council began investigating Gemma Blackman, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, after a complaint from a puppy buyer and later uncovered evidence of dogs suffering due to a lack of veterinary care.

Officers found she had illegally bred dogs for about three years using her chihuahua Olaf as a stud, earning an estimated £12,000 while using animals with genetic conditions.

Blackman admitted at Reading Magistrates' Court to animal cruelty and breeding and selling dogs without a licence. She was sentenced to a community order banning her from breeding dogs for two years.

She was also ordered to pay £2,114 in costs and a victim surcharge.

The council said officers noted coverage in The Sun newspaper in which she said in 2022 that she thought Olaf might - at 9.5ins (24cm) - have been the smallest dog in Britain.

The council said it uncovered evidence that Blackman had bred from animals with genetic ailments that could have been passed to their offspring, a practice prohibited in licensed commercial breeding.

Officers additionally found proof of animal cruelty, showing Blackman had failed to act when dogs under her care needed help from a vet.

This inaction caused unnecessary suffering and the death of the animals involved, the council said.

Councillor Rob Pattenden, portfolio holder for healthy and safe communities, called it "a shocking case".

"Our team identified a consistent pattern of offending, and I am pleased that the magistrate found in our favour and issued an appropriate sentence," he said.

"Dogs bring so much joy to their owners, but my message to anyone looking to get a pet is to only use a licensed breeder or a reputable animal rescue centre."

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