Celebrity Dog Trainer Demands £8m from Government Over HS2 Disruption
Matthew Wiggins, a renowned dog whisperer whose clients include celebrities like Game of Thrones actress Indira Varma, is suing the government for £8,051,292. The claim stems from the compulsory acquisition of his Staffordshire kennels for the HS2 high-speed rail project, which he argues caused severe business damage over four years of uncertainty.
State-of-the-Art Facility Forced to Close
Wiggins established WKD Trained Dogs Ltd at Brookhouse Farm near Stone in Staffordshire in 2012, transforming a 3.4-acre site into a premium training facility with 35 kennels. The business specialised in sourcing and training high-quality dogs from Europe, such as Hungary and Serbia, for sale to institutions, professionals, and high-net-worth individuals. However, in 2019, the Department for Transport earmarked the farm for demolition due to its proximity to the £100 billion HS2 line, leading to a compulsory purchase in January 2023.
Dispute Over Compensation and Shadow Losses
The Department for Transport has offered £3,262,726 in compensation, contending it is fair and that additional losses were likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, Wiggins and his legal team argue that "shadow losses" from 2019 to 2023, caused by the "blight factor" of the looming acquisition, significantly harmed the business. These losses include:
- Adverse effects on staff morale, performance, and retention.
- Disruption to Wiggins' ability to travel to European suppliers for dog sourcing.
- A decline in the online training sector, attributed to HS2-related uncertainty.
Wiggins' barrister, Isabella Tafur, described the business as "niche if not unique," with a model based on pre-orders, guarantees, and a refined temperament-testing approach that reduced refund rates. The company shortened training times to four weeks by 2016, but the HS2 upheaval halted operations, leaving the farm "derelict" and the business on hold.
Legal Arguments and Counterclaims
At the Upper Tribunal in London, the DfT's barrister, Mark Westmoreland-Smith KC, acknowledged a drop in the rate of trained dogs during the shadow period but suggested factors like Covid-19 and market demand changes were more influential. The trial continues as both sides debate the "extinguishment value" of closing WKD's business and the extent of HS2's impact versus external factors.
