08/01/2025
CONVICTED | puppy farm dealer and con-woman Micaela Anderson-Letts aka Micaela Von Cydzik, 35, of Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey – left 35 puppies and an adult dog without food and water in a dilapidated caravan covered in faeces.
Mother-of-one Anderson-Letts, who uses a variety of names and has links to multiple areas including Kingston-upon-Thames, Surbiton, Hounslow and Ashford in Surrey, was spared jail despite being convicted of a catalogue of animal welfare offences.
Police rescued the dogs from the caravan in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in July 2021. All of the dogs needed treatment for malnourishment with one dachshund puppy too poorly to be saved.
Body-worn camera footage released by Sussex Police (posted in comments) shows officers rescuing the dogs – a mix of labradors, dachshunds and French bulldogs – who are then seen gulping water from a big bowl.
At Kingston Crown Court on 7 January 2025, Anderson-Letts, who reportedly posed as an animal welfare charity under the name 2nd Chance Rescue, was sentenced for causing unnecessary suffering for the dogs, along with 15 other animal-related crimes.
These included faking importation documents for under-age puppies and selling puppies without a licence in 2020. Adverts showed she had the potential to make £173,000 from the sales while misleading potential buyers over the reasons they were being sold.
On July 26 2021, police attended a car park after members of the public reported a large number of dogs in a caravan left in direct sunlight with the windows closed.
Sussex Police investigating officer Marie Jenner said: “The whole floor was covered in faeces and urine-soaked cardboard. There were exposed wires, nails and screws, and broken pieces of wood and tools throughout. The conditions were completely uninhabitable.
“The dogs were retrieved from the caravan and placed in makeshift pens where we provided them with bowls of water. They were drinking uncontrollably, which gave an indicate of their desperation to rehydrate.
“A vet arrived on scene and explained that the dogs were suffering – and would continue to suffer if left in these conditions – and therefore they were seized under the Animal Welfare Act.”
The force added that the dachshund puppy’s cause of death was starvation and dehydration. She was one of 14 young dogs treated in hospital.
During sentencing, Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey said: “What is clear, investigations show Micaela Anderson-Letts was part of a Facebook group advertising these dogs for sale.
“It was clear she had these dogs for no other reason than to sell them on and make a profit.”
Police also discovered two dead pigs in the garden of Anderson-Lett’s then home in Surbiton, south-west London, on May 19 2020. She told officers the animals had died of illness seven days earlier.
They also found remains and other pigs still alive in hot sunshine in a pen too small for them to lie down, and without food or water.
After the sentencing, Pc Jenner added: “It transpired that Anderson-Letts had previously been issued an animal banning order and showed complete disregard to the judicial system by continuing to involve herself with puppies.
“After lots of hard work and dedication over the past three years, I am happy that this case has finally come to a conclusion.
“I would like to thank all staff and officers involved, the RSPCA inspectors, vets and vital witnesses who supported this investigation, along with members of the public who assisted in the rescue of these innocent puppies.
“After the appropriate veterinary treatment and care the dogs were rehomed to loving families.”
Sentencing | 24 months in prison, suspended for two years; ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work and up to 20 days of rehabilitation. Banned from owning animals or applying for licences involving animals for an unspecified period.
https://ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org/sunbury-on-thames-surrey-micaela-anderson-letts/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70e2d92pl2o
