On 18 April 2025, rescuers removed 84 dogs and two cats from a home in Galley Hill, Tickhill, near Doncaster. Most of the dogs were Springer Spaniel-type. The case later led to guilty findings and pleas: David Parkes was found guilty on 29 September 2026, while his wife, Delphine, and son, Sam, had pleaded guilty earlier. As of the RSPCA’s 30 September 2026 update, sentencing was scheduled for 9 December 2026.
What rescuers found at the Tickhill property
Nine RSPCA officers, accompanied by police and local authority staff, removed the animals on 18 April 2025. The RSPCA reported that rooms were covered in dirt and faeces several inches deep. Inspector Kristy Ludlam described the crowded stairs: “There were approximately 33 springer spaniels crowding the stairs, barking and staring at me.” The RSPCA also quoted Animal Rescue Officer Liz Braidley saying, “On entry into the property at the rear, the conditions were appalling.” These descriptions come from the RSPCA’s account of the case, not an independently reviewed court transcript. RSPCA case report, 30 September 2026.
What condition were the dogs and cats in?
The RSPCA said a vet examined 46 dogs and found 14 to be emaciated, with the animals believed to have been suffering for at least a month. Five dogs had infected cuts to their ears; several others had ear infections. One spaniel had a broken front leg and was later treated. The RSPCA attributed this assessment to the examining veterinarian: “Any reasonable and humane person would have recognised these problems and addressed them.” The report does not specify comparable examination findings for the two cats.
How the case unfolded
- 5 April 2025: The RSPCA first visited after receiving a welfare report about a dog with an injured leg.
- 18 April 2025: 84 dogs and two cats were removed from the property.
- 7 January 2026: Delphine and Sam Parkes pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences each.
- 29 September 2026: At the end of a two-day trial at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court, David Parkes was found guilty of three animal welfare offences.
- 30 September 2026: The RSPCA published its verdict and rehoming update.
- 9 December 2026: Sentencing for all three defendants was scheduled at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court. This was a future date in the RSPCA’s 30 September report.
The RSPCA’s report is the source for the rescue and court timeline. David Parkes’s guilty finding followed a trial; Delphine and Sam Parkes’s guilty pleas were entered at an earlier hearing.
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The RSPCA said all but one of the animals had been rehomed by the time of its 30 September 2026 report. One spaniel was euthanized to prevent further suffering because of health problems. The report does not give separate rehoming totals for the dogs and cats.
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