WKD Trained Dogs Ltd: Celebrity dog trainer Matthew Wiggins sues government for £8m over HS2 upheaval
A well-known dog whisperer is seeking more than £8 million in compensation from the government following the compulsory purchase of private kennels for the HS2 high-speed rail project.
Matthew Wiggins, who runs WKD Trained Dogs Ltd, has provided internationally sourced highly trained dogs to a clientele that includes institutions, “professionals, high net worth individuals” and celebrities. game of Thrones actress Indira Varma.
Mr Wiggins set up his business at Brookhouse Farm, near Stone in Staffordshire, in 2012. He transformed the 3.4-acre site into a state-of-the-art training facility housing 35 kennels.
But the Department for Transport (DfT) earmarked the farm for demolition in 2019 due to its proximity to the proposed £100bn HS2 line.
WKD Trained Dogs Ltd is now suing the government for £8,051,292 in the Upper Tribunal court in London, arguing that four years of uncertainty ahead of the compulsory purchase in 2023 has significantly damaged the business.
The DfT, represented by a team of lawyers and financial experts, is contesting the claim. It argues that the offer of £3,262,726 constitutes fair and adequate compensation and suggests that any additional losses are likely to be attributable to the Covid pandemic.
Mr. Wiggins founded WKD in 2010 with the vision of finding and training the highest quality dogs for future sale. They often came from remote parts of Europe such as Hungary and Serbia.
The 41-year-old, who had a “lightbulb” moment after picking up pet training skills by listening to a mentor and friend who lived nearby and “changed his approach almost overnight”, specializes in selling ready-trained dogs.
The court heard that part of Mr Wiggins’ skill lay in his “entirely unique” ability to select dogs with the right temperament to train and sell, and to weed out “unsuccessful” candidates who were unsuitable for marketing.
Isabella Tafur, Mr. Wiggins’ lawyer, described his business as “niche, if not unique.”
“The company’s main business was the supply, training and sale of fully trained dogs,” he said.
“Trained dogs were not puppies and were generally obtained and sold between 10 and 24 months old.
“He provided dogs to professionals, high-net-worth individuals, schools, organizations and families with special needs,” his lawyer said, and Mr. Wiggins added outside court that one of his famous clients was actor Indira Varma, who played the character Ellaria Sand in the film. game of Thrones.
Ms Tafur added: “Sales were often on a pre-order basis. Customers paid deposits with prices fixed at the time of deposit. Demand often exceeded supply and there was a long waiting list of customers.”
“Trained dogs were sold with a guarantee. If the customer had any problems with the dog, the requester would provide the necessary training to solve these problems. Customers also had the right to get a full refund if they wanted to return their dog.
“Temperament testing refers to an approach in which the company screens dogs based on specific traits it determines conducive to the ‘perfect pet.’
“The company developed an approach to this testing that is not based on breed, but rather on a list of characteristics derived from statistics collected from remedial training and reimbursements.”
WKD purchased dogs primarily from suppliers in Hungary or Ireland, his lawyer said. In Hungary, Mr Wiggins will carry out a “temperament test” before selecting a dog, which will then be shipped to the UK, while Irish pets will be tested on the farm after being transported to their kennels.
“By improving its selection approach over time, WKD has been able to better match dogs with potential customers and reduce the frequency with which customers apply for warranties,” Ms. Tafur said.
“Around 2016, the plaintiff also shortened the training period for the dogs to a typical four-week period.”
But Mr Wiggins and his company were thrown into turmoil when the DfT first raised the possibility of Brookhouse Farm being sacrificed for the HS2 line and the High Speed Rail Bill was later passed through parliament in 2017.
HS2 has sparked waves of controversy since its launch in 2019; Successive governments have been criticized for its huge costs, the impact of the destruction on local communities and the uncertainty of the completion date.
WKD’s lawyers say the department hesitated when it came to informing Mr. Wiggins’ company of critical deadlines for deciding whether to relocate or terminate the business, but by January 2023, the government finally purchased the farm.
Part of the dispute between WKD and DfT is based on “shadow losses” suffered by the company due to a “damage factor” that Mr Wiggins said overshadowed the company and affected trading in the structure until the actual closure; The discussion also focuses on the company’s “extinguishment value” – calculating the impact of closing WKD’s business at Brookhouse Farm.
“Shadow losses” cover the period from 2019 to 2023; During this period, Mr Wiggins said the shadow of the looming acquisition was “adversely impacting staff morale, performance and retention”.
Moreover, Mr Wiggins said the downturn at his job had affected his “mindset and focus” and “meant he was unable to travel to his preferred supplier in Eastern Europe for fear of missing out on potential moving properties”.
DfT barrister Mark Westmoreland-Smith KC acknowledged that the “ratio of trained dogs to unsuccessful dogs” had decreased in the shadow period, but suggested other factors, such as the impact of Covid, were also at play, particularly affecting Mr Wiggins’ ability to scout abroad to find new canine trainees.
WKD lawyers also say the impact of HS2 and the compulsory purchase order have also caused a decline in the online education sector, but the DfT’s lawyer suggested the real causes were likely the emergence of Covid and “fluctuating changes in market demand”.
Mr Wiggins told the court the farm was now “derelict” and his business had been frozen while he awaited the court’s decision.
The trial continues.
