A man has been jailed for five years after setting up a fake charity to deceive people into handing over their dogs for rehoming, only for the animals to instead be kept in what police have described as "inhumane and appalling conditions".

Oaveed Rahman, aged 26 of Hope Road, Crays Hill, admitted 11 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of causing unnecessary suffering relating to the animals in his care, when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court in Essex last month.

According to Essex Police Rahman pretended to run the charity, Save a Paw, but instead conned people into handling him money in return for rehoming and rehabilitation services.

Rahman also admitted possession of a banned XL Bully dog. And was given a lifetime ban from owning any animals.

The joint investigation into Rahman involved Essex Police, the RSPCA and Basildon Council, with officers receiving reports relating to his activities in April last year.

The Dogs Trust and the National Animal Welfare Trust has worked alongside the RSPCA to rehome several of the dogs.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “This has been an extremely upsetting case for everyone involved, particularly those who entrusted dogs into” his care,

Dogs Trust’s head of rehoming operations Adam Levy added: “The decision to hand over a dog for rehoming is never taken lightly, and owners placed their trust in Save a Paw to act in the best interests of their pets. That trust was broken in the most appalling way, with devastating consequences.

“This case highlights the urgent need for stronger regulation of rehoming organisations, including licensing and regular inspections. Without proper oversight, there can be no assurance that organisations are operating in the best interests of the animals in their care."

Essex Police says this is believed to be the biggest animal cruelty investigation the force has been involved with.

It adds that the causing animal suffering charge relates to 21 dogs and one cat found in Rahman’s care.

Through the searches carried out, officers found the remains of a total of 41 dogs.

“It’s hard to put into the words the effect Rahman’s offending has had, not just in Basildon and Essex, but across the country,” said superintendent Leigh Norris.

“All the officers involved in this case, alongside our partners at the RSPCA, Basildon Council and the Crown Prosecution Service, worked tirelessly and meticulously to gather the vital evidence needed to ensure Rahman pays for his crimes.

“We know we cannot give everyone the answers they are looking for, but I hope they can be reassured that our extensive queries, which involved speaking to people across the UK, left Rahman with no option but to plead guilty.”

Norris added: “I want to thank everyone who shared vital information with us. It was invaluable and enabled us to build this case and secure a conviction and custodial sentence.

“We may never truly know the extent of his offending. The remains of a number of animals were unfortunately unidentifiable. We would dearly love to have been able to update every previous owner who made a report to us, but this was not possible. The loss which previous owners feel is not lost on us.”

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