A renowned dog whisperer to the stars has taken legal action against the government, seeking over £8 million in compensation. This follows the closure of his elite kennels, which were dismantled to make way for the HS2 high-speed rail project.
Matthew Wiggins, a distinguished pet trainer, was known for providing expertly trained dogs from abroad to various clients, including institutions, affluent individuals, and celebrities such as “Game of Thrones” actress Indira Varma.
In 2012, Wiggins relocated his business, WKD Trained Dogs Ltd, to Brookhouse Farm in Staffordshire. He transformed the 3.4-acre property into a premier dog training facility, complete with 35 kennels, dedicated to crafting the ‘perfect pets.’
However, in 2019, the farm was slated for demolition due to its proximity to the planned route of the £100 billion HS2 rail line.
Wiggins is now embroiled in a legal battle with the Department for Transport at the Upper Tribunal in London. He argues for an £8,051,292 compensation, asserting that years of uncertainty leading up to the compulsory purchase in 2023 severely impacted his business.
In contrast, the Department for Transport maintains that their offer of £3,262,726 is just and reasonable. They attribute any further financial losses to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic rather than the HS2 project.
Mr Wiggins and his company were thrown into upheaval when the DfT first floated the possibility of Brookhouse Farm being sacrificed for the HS2 line, with the High Speed Rail Bill later going through Parliament in 2017.
HS2 has sparked waves of controversy since getting underway in 2019, with successive governments criticised for its massive costs, the effect on local communities and the uncertainty of the end date.
Top pooch guru Matthew Wiggins supplied highly trained dogs sourced from overseas to institutions, ‘professionals, high-net-worth individuals’ and celebrities
Mr Wiggins revealed outside court that one of his celebrity clients was actress Indira Varma, who played Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones (pictured)
Lawyers for WKD say the DfT had dithered when it came to informing Mr Wiggins’ company about the crucial deadlines for making decisions about whether to relocate or terminate the business, but by January 2023 the government had finally acquired the farm.
Part of the dispute between WKD and the DfT turns on the ‘shadow losses’ the company suffered due to the ‘blight factor’ which Mr Wiggins says overshadowed it and impacted trade in the build up to its actual closure.
The ‘shadow losses’ cover a period from 2019 until 2023, during which Mr Wiggins says the shadow of the looming acquisition ‘adversely affected staff morale, performance and retention’.
On top of that, Mr Wiggins says the blight hanging over his business impacted his ‘mindset and focus’ and ‘meant he was unable to travel to his favoured supplier in eastern Europe for fear of missing out on potential relocation properties’.
The argument also centres on the company’s ‘extinguishment value’, calculating the impact of closing down WKD’s business at Brookhouse Farm.
Mr Wiggins’ barrister Isabella Tafur says the impact of HS2 and the compulsory purchase order also caused a dip in its online training sector.
The DfT’s barrister, Mark Westmoreland-Smith KC, accepted that ‘the rate of trained dogs to failed dogs’ tailed off during the shadow period.
However, the DfT barrister suggested the real causes were more likely the advent of Covid and fluctuating ‘changes in market demand’.
Mr Wiggins said outside court that the farm is now ‘derelict’ and his business on ice while he awaits a decision from the tribunal.
The 41-year-old ‘self-trained dog trainer’ set up WKD in 2010 with a unique vision of finding and training the best quality dogs for onward sale, often sourced from far-flung areas of Europe such as Hungary and Serbia.
The 41-year-old ‘self-trained dog trainer’ set up WKD in 2010 with a unique vision of finding and training the best quality dogs for onward sale
Mr Wiggins specialises in selling ready-trained dogs, having experienced a sudden ‘lightbulb’ moment after picking up his pet-nurturing skills from listening to a mentor and friend who lived near him and ‘changed his approach almost overnight’.
Part of Mr Wiggins’ skill lies in his ‘entirely unique’ ability to select dogs with the right temperament to be trained up and sold, while rooting out ‘failed’ candidates which are not suitable for marketing, the tribunal heard.
Mr Wiggins’ barrister Isabella Tafur described his business as ‘niche if not unique.’
‘The core business of the company was the sourcing, training, and sale of fully trained dogs,’ she said.
‘Trained dogs were not puppies and would generally be sourced and sold at an age of between 10 to 24 months.
‘It supplied dogs to professionals, high-net-worth individuals, schools, organisations, and families with specific requirements,’ said his barrister.
Mr Wiggins revealed outside court that one of his celebrity clients was actress Indira Varma, who played Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones.
Explaining his input and WKD’s operating style, Ms Tafur added: ‘Sales typically operated on a pre-order basis.
‘Customers would pay a deposit with prices fixed at the time of the deposit.
‘Demand typically outstripped supply, and there was a long waiting list of customers.
‘Trained dogs were sold with a guarantee.
‘If a customer experienced any problems with the dog, the claimant would carry out the remedial training required to resolve these problems.
‘Customers were also entitled to a full refund if they wished to return their dog.
‘Temperament testing refers to an approach whereby the company screened for dogs on the basis of certain traits which it identified as conducive to the ‘perfect pet’.
‘The company developed an approach to this testing that was not based on breed, but rather on a list of traits derived from statistics gathered from its remedial training and refunds.’
WKD primarily bought dogs from suppliers either in Hungary or Ireland, said its barrister.
If in Hungary, Mr Wiggins would carry out ‘temperament testing’ before selecting a dog that would then be shipped over to the UK, whereas the Irish pets would be tested at the farm after being transported to his kennels.
‘By refining its selection approach over time, WKD was able to better match dogs to prospective customers, reducing the frequency of customers invoking the guarantees,’ said Ms Tafur.
‘By around 2016, the claimant had also shortened its training time for dogs to a period of typically four weeks.’
The trial is continuing.
