Man given 10-year ban for keeping dogs in van

Six of the seven dogs needed to be euthanised, Sheffield Crown Court heard

A man has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after seven dogs were found living in vans with no food and water.

Ian Welbourn, 68, of Goole Road, Doncaster, admitted ownership of the dogs that were found in dirty cages in two vans on a warm day in East Yorkshire on 23 July 2024.

Welbourn was handed a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Sheffield Crown Court and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

Six of the dogs were put to sleep following veterinary advice, the RSPCA said. One dog made a successful recovery and was rehomed by the charity.

Humberside Police found five German shepherd and Belgian Malinois-type dogs cramped in faeces-filled crates in a red van parked on land near the M62 and Tom Pudding Way near Goole.

The animals had no water and could not reach the food on the floor. In addition, police found there was inadequate ventilation, despite two small windows being open.

Welbourn was said to have arrived at the location agitated and admitted there was another dog, a German shepherd, in a nearby green van living in the same conditions.

He was arrested for an unrelated matter and the following day admitted there was another dog living in a separate compartment in the converted green van.

The dogs were found living in dire conditions in small crates

The RSPCA took the dogs to a vet who said most had prominent ribs and hips with little or no fat.

One of the dogs, Elle, had a missing tail. Welbourn said he sought treatment for her in June last year and was told she needed immediate surgery or putting to sleep, which he claimed he could not afford.

Welbourn said he had owned the vans for two weeks and they were fitted with air conditioning but it did not work.

He pleaded guilty to three Animal Welfare Act offences at an earlier hearing.

The sentencing judge said, having regard to the dogs' substantial level of pain, it was clear Welbourn was not competent to keep animals.

The court was told Welbourn had mental health issues and had fallen out with his landlord, causing him to temporarily live in one of the vans.

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