Illegal dog breeder ordered to repay the proceeds of his crime
Friday 6 FebruaryAn Eldwick man, Mr Steven Robson has been ordered to repay a total of £124,609.94 following a Proceeds of Crime application by West Yorkshire Trading Standards on behalf of Bradford Council’s Environmental Health Team on 5th February 2026. This follows an investigation by the council into his illegal dog breeding business Southway Labrador Retrievers.
Robson was convicted in November 2024 of an offence of operating a dog breeding business selling Labradors without a licence for over three years. In that time, he had sold significant numbers of puppies for up to £2,000.00 per puppy. Despite contact from the council on multiple occasions advising him of the need for a licence and urging him to make an application he repeatedly failed to apply for a licence.
Operating illegally allowed Robson to maximise his profit and to operate without scrutiny from authorities. He was able to continue to operate during the national lockdown which placed restrictions on the movement and sale of dogs which affected legitimate traders. He was also able to cash in on the opportunity that lockdown presented in terms of the increased demands for puppies and the massively inflated prices that breeders could command for a dog.
At his sentencing hearing in February 2025, Robson was told by a judge that he had effectively “stuck two fingers up to the law”. He was sentenced to an 18-month probation order with an electronically monitored curfew for six months. He was also given a ten-year disqualification from breeding animals.
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 hearing heard that Robson made significant profit during the offending period. In addition, as he was deemed to have a criminal lifestyle under the Act, his profit from other dog sales prior to the offending period were also captured in the calculation of his benefit from criminal conduct. This included the proceeds of dog sales paid into accounts of his family members.
The court assessed Robson’s total benefit from his offending as £114,946.65 and he was ordered to pay a confiscation order in that sum. This represented his gross profit from the sale of up to 92 puppies since September 2017, together with the licence fees he had avoided paying. In addition, he was ordered to pay £1,160.34 in compensation to a victim who had to have the dog he supplied put to sleep because of Hip Dysplasia. He was also ordered to pay £8,413.55 in costs and a victim surcharge of £90.00. The Judge gave the defendant three months to pay his confiscation order and imposed a 12-month default sentence if he fails to repay.
Linda Davis, Head of Trading Standards, Protecting Communities said “Steven Robson thought he was above the law and was able to generate a large profit from his illegal business and acquire significant assets. He was able to undercut legitimate businesses and operate without scrutiny. Today he has learned the true cost of his crime. We will continue to work with partners and use the Proceeds of Crime Act to pursue offenders and recover criminal proceeds”.