Man guilty of animal welfare offences after 84 dogs rescued from 'squalid' Doncaster home
RSPCA officers seized a total of 84 Spinger Spaniels from a house in Tickhill last April, with rooms covered in dirt and dog waste.
Last updated 30th Sep 2026
A man has been found guilty of animal welfare offences after more than 80 dogs were found being kept in squalid conditions in Doncaster.
RSPCA officers seized a total of 84 Springer Spaniels from a house in Tickhill last April, with rooms covered in dirt and dog waste.
61 year old David Parkes was been convicted of three animal welfare offences following a two-day trial at Barnsley Magistrates Court.
His wife Delphine Parkes and son Sam Parkes already admitted to similar offences during an earlier hearing.
In her evidence RSPCA officer Inspector Kristy Ludlam, said: “The door into the kitchen was opened and we were met with twenty to twenty five Springer Spaniels, some huddled in the corners, others running around.
“The kitchen was covered in dirt and faeces from floor to ceiling. The floor had at least 20 piles of faeces on it, which the dogs had distributed around the floor and over themselves.
“The dogs were cowering and huddling in a corner, or jumping on the kitchen sides near the window at the back of the room. They were very dirty, their fur covered in faeces, and many of their ears had lumps of dirt stuck to them, almost like dreadlocks.
“I walked around the corner to the bottom of the stairs, and was met by dogs on every step. There were approximately 33 Springer Spaniels crowding the stairs barking and staring at me.
“The stairs were caked in dirt, approximately six to seven inches sat on top of each step from the bottom almost all the way to the top. By the top step the dirt had almost reached ten inches and the landing was an undulating mass of dirt, faeces and fur which made it incredibly difficult and unsafe to walk on.”
Mrs Parkes told inspectors she knew she had too many dogs and the 'situation had got out of control' since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The family were forced to sign the animals over to the care of the RSPCA. All but one have now been rehomed, with one of the dogs having to be put down due to long term health issues.
The family will be sentenced at a later date.