01.10.2026 A man has been found guilty of neglecting 84 Spaniels and two cats who were found living in “filthy and squalid” conditions at a house in South Yorkshire.
The animals, mainly springer spaniel-type dogs, were rescued from the property in Tickhill, near Doncaster, on 18 April last year.
An RSPCA inspector said that the house was “covered in dirt and faeces, from floor to ceiling”, with many of rooms difficult to access. The smell was so overpowering that an animal rescue officer said it made her eyes sting.
More than 80 dogs were left to "breed by themselves" among their own urine and faeces at this house in Yorkshire.
A Doncaster social worker has been found guilty of failing to ensure their welfare.
Read more: https://t.co/chyvJCwA9b pic.twitter.com/jWOJMUubdE
— BBC Yorkshire (@BBCLookNorth) September 29, 2026
Social worker David Parkes kept dozens of animals in rooms covered from floor to ceiling in faeces and dirt several inches thick.
When RSPCA officers forced their way into his home, they found more than 30 spaniels sat on the stairs and landing, after the dogs were ‘left unneutered and bred out of control’.
84 dogs in squalor. Children’s social worker David Parkes convicted.
He blamed his workload, including child sexual abuse cases.
Recognising neglect was his job. He was responsible for it in his own home.
Preston Davey’s killer, Jamie Varley—reportedly now known as Harry Jae… https://t.co/tJOyPcpqlF
— Speak For Them (@SpeakForThemUK) September 30, 2026
Workers who rescued the dogs from the house in Tickhill, near Doncaster, in April last year, said the conditions were among the worst they’d ever encountered.
Children’s social worker David Parkes, 61, had denied owning or having responsibility for the animals, but was found guilty of three animal welfare offences following a two-day trial at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court, which concluded on 29 September. His wife Delphine Parkes, 60, and son Sam Parkes, 28, who also lived at the house, had both pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences at an earlier hearing following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA. In written evidence, RSPCA Inspector Kristy Ludlam said: “The door into the kitchen was opened, and we were met with 20 to 25 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.” RSPCA officers, accompanied by the police and the local authority, were involved in removing the animals.