Man Arrested After 18 Dogs Found In Emaciated State In Back Of Van

A man been arrested after 18 dogs were found in a horrific state in the back of a van near Tilton on the Hill.

Police officers who stopped the vehicle on Tuesday afternoon say the emaciated dogs and puppies, which were in cages with no food or water, were in the worst condition they had ever seen.

All were seized and taken for urgent veterinary treatment.

The 35-year-old driver of the van, of no fixed address, was arrested for breaching an Animal Disqualification Order, which banned him them from keeping dogs until 2025.

He has been bailed pending further enquiries.

The RSPCA is now leading on the investigation.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “The RSPCA was called by the police to attend an incident they were dealing with – after a number of dogs were found inside a van.

“18 dogs- including a number of puppies – had been seized by the police and were taken for urgent veterinary attention.

“The dogs have now been placed in RSPCA care – some of the dogs are still very poorly.

“We would like to thank Leicestershire police – but as this is now an ongoing investigation we can’t go into any further detail at this time.”

Leicestershire Police’s Rural Policing Team said: “The crew dealing with this incident yesterday have well over 40 years policing experience collectively.

“They agreed that it was probably the worst conditions they’d ever seen dogs kept in.

“The dogs had no food or water until intervention and were in a staggeringly poor state.

“Safe to say – whilst this was a particularly horrendous incident resulting in numerous police resources – there was a sense of relief knowing that the dogs would get the care they desperately needed with an approved vet and the suspect would be dealt with.”