Between 20 and 25 spaniels were waiting behind the kitchen door when RSPCA inspector Kristy Ludlam entered a house in Tickhill, near Doncaster, England.
It was April 18, 2025. There were another 33 dogs on the stairs. In total, 84 dogs—80 Springer Spaniels and 4 Patterdale Terriers—and two cats were taken out. Many rooms were covered in feces and filth from floor to ceiling. The animals had not been neutered, and their numbers had spiraled out of control.
The family was inside, and the police had to force their way in. David Parkes, 61, was found guilty of three animal welfare offenses. His wife Delphine and son Sam had already pleaded guilty. All three are awaiting sentencing on December 9, 2026.
For the dogs, the story took a very different turn. All but one were rehabilitated and rehomed. Katy arrived traumatized, with a stained coat, and now lives in Skipton with Wendy and Lindsay Cann: within six months, she began to find her voice. Darcy, who arrived pregnant, gave birth to five healthy puppies. From a house where almost no one saw them, 83 of them went on to a real home.
