In January 2026 Billy Woodhouse was arrested after a police raid of his boarding kennels uncovered a burial mound containing the emaciated remains of nine dogs. Investigations revealed the causes of death were tied to severe neglect and starvation.
Surviving dogs were removed from the site by a dog warden and a local animal rescue charity.
Woodhouse had previously had his operating license suspended by Shropshire Council in December 2022 due to concerns about his compliance with licensing conditions.
According to various social media reports, several Romanian rescue dogs staying at the kennels had either died or gone missing in the months leading up to this event.
Despite no longer being licensed to operate a boarding kennels, Woodhouse continued to take bookings, dismissing bad online reviews as “rubbish” when questioned by owners.
Then, in August 2024, the council’s licensing department received a complaint from the owner of a dog named Stewie, who was put down following a stay at the kennels.
In police statements the owner said she had learned about the kennels from adverts online which said the business was licensed.
The woman said that when she collected Stewie on August 12, 2024, Woodhouse handed the animal over wrapped in a towel with only his face visible.
Woodhouse told her Stewie, who was around seven or eight years old, had been unwell for a few days, but that he had not taken him to a vet.
The owner took Stewie to her own vet where he had been seen one month earlier and assessed as healthy.
But now he was found to have a flat injury on his face, scabs on his tail, abscesses on both hind legs and yellow staining to his white fur. He was put down soon after.
“He had lost a lot of weight,” the owner said. “I could see his bones. He wouldn’t lift his head. He wasn’t breathing properly, he was very subdued.”
The vet said Stewie’s pressure wounds were “consistent with laying in one position for 24 hours”.
Woodhouse was prosecuted ifor animal welfare and fraud in early 2025 and pleaded not guilty.
But in November 2025, while he was awaiting trial, another woman whose pet had died at the kennels contacted the authorities.
The woman said she paid £96 to leave her dog, Enzo, at Hatton Boarding Kennels in August 2025, but days later she was told he died there.
A third woman left her dogs, Bruno and Nala, in Woodhouse’s care on four occasions between the summer of 2023 and New Year’s Day 2026.
The court heard the woman had noticed negative reviews of the kennels and mentioned them to Woodhouse but he had dismissed them as “rubbish” and “made up over minor issues”.
For the most recent stay, over last Christmas, she was promised regular photo updates from the kennels but was not provided with any.
Upon collecting her pets in the new year she noticed they were “dirty and visibly skinny”. She estimated one of the dogs had lost “about a third of her body weight”.
Around the same time, Woodhouse had taken in 11 dogs belonging to a woman who was suffering severe mental health issues and was unable to look after them herself. Some of the animals had been rescued from abroad.
In January 2026 a social worker became concerned the woman was at risk of being exploited financially, and made several attempts to contact Woodhouse.
On January 14 she called West Mercia Police.
The following day officers entered Hatton Boarding Kennels where a sniffer dog discovered a makeshift burial area. Police exhumed the bodies of nine dead dogs., believed to be the vulnerable woman’s.
Three cats, who were alive, were also found and taken to a rescue.
Surviving animals returned to their owners were found severely emaciated (some losing up to a third of their body weight), dirty, dehydrated, and suffering from untreated injuries and abscesses.
Woodhouse later admitted to animal welfare offences, fraud, and operating without a license after subsequent inspections.
Mitigating for Woodhouse, Martin McNamara said his client had taken on running the business after the death of his mother and had “good intentions” but “became overwhelmed”.
He said that his client had “significant mental health issues” and was “not capable of running the kennels”.
Mr McNamara said Woodhouse is the sole carer for two family members and has been threatened by people in relation to the case.
The facility at 4 Wolverhampton Road, Shifnal, is completely shut down and no longer permitted to operate or take animal bookings of any kind.
Sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay £1,000 towards court costs and a £187 victim surcharge. He is legally disqualified from keeping or owning animals for a decade but can appeal after five years.