Police investigating the theft of a number of dogs who were found at a property in Kelfield near Selby have thanked members of the public for their response to the appeal.

PC Sarah Ward of Selby police, said: “We have had an overwhelming response to our appeal to find new homes and to try and find their rightful owners.

“Sadly, we have not been able to find any of the original owners of the dogs. This is mainly because most of them were not chipped. A number of people have come forward, believing some of the dogs were theirs, but after checks were carried out, sadly for them, the dogs have turned out not to be theirs.

“However, the good news is that we have found new homes for all 19 dogs. Although, they will not be handed over to their new owners for a week, just in case any further potential owners come forward.

“People have been brilliant and incredibly generous. Many people who were not in a position to adopt a dog, have called at the kennels and donated food for them.

“I would like to thank everyone for their kindness, I honestly did not expect such a huge response to our appeal, but thank you so much.”

To recap, police originally seized 23 dogs, however four ave been returned to their rightful owners leaving 19 homeless. The remaining dogs are being cared for by Woodhaven Kennels in South Milford.

The owner of a property in Kelfield near Riccall contacted the police after the animals were abandoned there.

The dogs have not necessarily been stolen from the North Yorkshire area, they could have been taken from the surrounding areas or anywhere in the country. There is no suggestion that any of the dogs have been mistreated and our investigation relates only to alleged theft and fraud offences. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are only able to release limited information.

A woman aged in her 50s from Howden has been arrested in connection with the investigation and has been released on police bail. A second woman is assisting the police with their enquiries.