Full Breakdown
RSPCA Rescue of 84 Dogs Leads to Animal-Welfare Convictions in South Yorkshire
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Rescue and Court Findings
In April 2025, RSPCA officers, police and local-authority staff entered the Parkes family home at Galley Hill Farm Cottage, Tickhill, after a welfare report was made following a dog injury. They found more than 80 Springer Spaniel-type dogs, two adult Patterdale Terriers, two Terrier pups and two cats in rooms coated in faeces and urine, with a pervasive odor.
A two-day trial at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court concluded on September 29 with David Parkes, 61, found guilty of three animal-welfare offences. His wife Delphine Parkes, 50, and son Sam Parkes, 28, had each pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on January 7. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on December 9 at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court.
Background & Context
The RSPCA first visited the property on April 5 after receiving concerns about the animals’ condition. A notice offering assistance was left, but no response was received. Police and the charity executed a search warrant on April 17, forcing entry through a back door while the family remained inside. The rescue operation took place on April 18, when officers encountered the extensive filth and the large number of dogs.
The family claimed the dogs multiplied “by themselves” and that they had tried unsuccessfully to rehome some of them. The court was told there was no evidence of large-scale breeding, but the lack of neutering had caused the numbers to “rapidly spiral.”
Data & Statistics
- 84 dogs and 2 cats were rescued.
- The dogs comprised roughly 80 Springer Spaniel-type dogs, 2 adult Patterdale Terriers, and 2 Terrier pups.
- Veterinary examination of 46 dogs found 14 emaciated, 5 with infected ear cuts, several with bilateral ear infections, and one with a broken front leg.
- One dog was later euthanised due to severe health issues.
- After rescue, the animals were placed in 18 private boarding facilities and subsequently rehomed, with only one dog remaining in RSPCA care.
Official Statements & Responses
The court heard that Parkes had registered the dogs with veterinary practices in his, his wife’s and his son’s names, and that he was aware of feeding arrangements, medical treatments and histories.
Veterinary statements emphasized that the conditions constituted “filth and squalor” and that any reasonable person would have recognized the need for immediate intervention.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He had ownership to some capacity and was one of the persons responsible for the animals,” — Brown
What's Next
The three defendants will appear for sentencing on December 9 at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court. The RSPCA continues to monitor the rehomed animals and has highlighted the case as an example of the risks posed by unneutered, unmanaged dog populations in private homes.