David Parkes found guilty over neglect of 84 dogs

David Parkes was found guilty of three animal-welfare offences after a two-day trial that concluded September 29, following the discovery of 84 dogs and two cats in poor conditions at his home in Tickhill, South Yorkshire. His wife, Delphine Parkes, and son, Sam Parkes, had pleaded guilty to three similar offences earlier. All three are due to be sentenced on December 9. The animals, mostly Springer Spaniels, were removed from the property on April 18, 2025, by RSPCA officers accompanied by police and local authority staff. The court heard that rooms were coated in dirt and faeces, and that many of the dogs were crowded together inside the house. The dogs included 80 Springer Spaniels and four Patterdale Terriers; two cats were also found. Parkes, 61, denied owning or being responsible for the animals, but was convicted after the trial at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court. The court heard that none of the dogs had been neutered and their numbers had increased rapidly. The family had tried unsuccessfully to give some of them away, according to evidence presented in court. A veterinarian who examined 46 of the dogs reportedly found 14 to be emaciated.