A ROGUE animal trader jailed for putting the UK's rabies-free status at risk has been given a further sentence after failing to pay a previous fine.

Peter Graham Harman ran two fraudulent puppy-selling businesses - namely for the sale of unlawfully imported cropped and docked puppies from Serbia - making almost £1 million.

Harman, who lived in Weymouth while running his fraudulent puppy business, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 28 months in prison on May 18 this year after pleading guilty to misleading customers through false advertisement and the sale of cropped and docked Doberman and Cane Corso puppies between May 24 and June 26, 2018.

He also admitted knowingly and intently evading the provisions of rabies for 25 Doberman puppies between the dates May 25 and July 12, 2018, and unlawfully imported puppies while falsely claiming they were rabies-free to customers.

On multiple occasions Harman deliberately provided false information of the delivery location of Doberman puppies between May 1 and July 7, 2019.

Harman has been sentenced to an additional 21 days to be served concurrently with his prison sentence for not paying a fine of £4,351.77 which had been imposed on April 11, 2019.

The rogue puppy trader will also serve an additional 14 days to be served concurrently in default of a £574 fine imposed on December 30, 2020.

Harman will serve the additional 35 days concurrently to his present sentence in lieu of payments.

The combined fines total of £4,925.77 were imposed in relation to Harman's offences between May 24 2018 and July 7 2019.

Harman committed the offences while running his businesses UK Dobermans and UK Cane Corsos, which were based in Shaftesbury.

As previously reported, officers working with Trading Standards at Dorset Council searched Harman’s address, and found conversations on his phone with eastern European colleagues which demonstrated he understood the regulations he was breaking.

Prosecutor Malcolm Gibney said on eight occasions Harman’s customers did not receive the puppy they had ordered and paid for, with his business being described as 'disgraceful', and that £370,000 was transferred to Harman, most of which was deposits, and an estimated sum of £600,000 was found in cash.

Judge Stephen Climie, sentencing Harman, said due to his unlawful actions the rogue puppy trader put the UK's rabies-free status at risk.