have puppies and keeping them without a licence.

Unemployed Shane Benevides, 23, of Lovers Lane, Paget pleaded guilty to both charges.

Junior Crown counsel Veronica Gordon told the court that the Government dog warden and SPCA officers went to the defendant's house on February 8 after receiving a complaint from a member of the public.

The officers noticed the teats of the female Pitbull dog were full of milk but Benevides told them all of the puppies had died.

Police were at the house a month later on March 8 and saw the female Pitbull, a litter of five puppies and a male dog, Ms Gordon told the court. The next day the dog inspector returned to the house, seized the dogs and put them in the Government kennel.

But Benevides had since claimed all the dogs back.

Ms Gordon asked Senior Magistrate Will Francis to take into account that each of the six-week-old pups could fetch up to $700 on the dog market.

Mr. Francis asked Benevides what he wanted to do about the charges he faced.

He answered: "Nothing your honour'' and was fined $3,000 for allowing the Pitbull to breed and $200 for keeping more than two dogs on his property without a licence to do so.