VICTIMS who purchased puppies from an illegal puppy farm only to have fight to try and save their lives were left traumatised and thousands of pounds out of pocket.

On Friday, Stacey Hayward, 41, of Colliford Road, West Thurrock, and Kelly Bennet, 44, and Ricky Bennett, 42, of Weymouth Drive, Chafford Hundred, were jailed for their roles in illegally selling 500 puppies between 2018 – 2021.

Victim statements read out at court revealed the extent of the financial and emotional harm caused by the gang – with the 36 victims who gave statements totalling £43,000 in losses.

One victim had to drain her savings for her children to keep the family above water financially after being saddled with vet bills of almost £2,0000.

“My children suffered, and I was exhausted all the time,” they said.

“I was mortified I had been conned. I cried for days and was so embarrassed and am still embarrassed to this day. Things got so bad for us financially that I had to empty my children’s ISA.

“We struggled with the cost of the puppy plus the emotional and physical exhaustion for taking care of her just for her to die.

Another victim told of how she still finds her children in tears over the death of their puppy.

“We bought the puppy for our two children who are four and six,” they told the court.

“It has hit my six-year-old very hard and he often asks what he has done wrong.

“He cries going to sleep a lot of nights… My children still break down about the puppy to this day and my son still has a picture of her in his bedroom.”

A retired couple from Guernsey told of how when they released their puppy was ill, they called Kelly Bennet turned the blame on them, claiming the couple must have fed the puppy bad food or water.

Another victim said the “financial impact had been significant”.

“Our puppy cost £750 and there was a further total vet bill of about £2,000,” they said.

“I was a mess and I still am. I was distraught at the time and had to take time off work.

“The whole thing was a horrendous experience.”