A dog rescue charity in Yorkshire has decided to close down after its founder was convicted of animal neglect and banned from keeping animals for ten years.

Dorothy Harland, who founded Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), pleaded guilty to five counts of animal neglect at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court this month. The court heard animals tried to burst out of her house when they were discovered in December of last year.

According to the Yorkshire Post, RSPCA workers who inspected Dorothy Harland’s house said it was the worst property they had seen in 20 years of working for the charity – with police officers forced to wear gas masks to enter the house.

This week EARS, the charity founded by Harland, has announced it will close down permanently. 

In a statement to supporters on its Facebook page, its chair Julie Hart, says: “Sadly it has become obvious over the past 11 days since our founder Dorothy Harland was disqualified from keeping animals in her private life for 10 years that despite the renewed effort by volunteers and overwhelming support of sponsors and supporters the position was untenable.

“Any dog rescue-related organisation will not work with a rescue that has had anyone with a conviction for animal welfare issues.

“We the volunteers were devastated when we heard about the court case and are equally devastated now that all our hard work has come to this. All we ever want to do is help save dogs from death row and send them to a better life.”

Harland was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay £200 of the £4,000 the RSPCA spent on bringing the case to court, plus a £60 surcharge.

Her abuse of animals was uncovered after a water company went to the property because of a leak and, on seeing the chaos inside the house, called the police, who in turn called the RSPCA.

One of the dogs at her property had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice; the other animals, dogs and cats, found there were rehomed.

Emergency Animal Rescue Support is not registered with the Charity Commission. Its website has been taken down but its Facebook page will stay open for the foreseeable future.