A WOMAN whose emaciated pet dog died after it was kept outside surrounded by piles of waste has been banned from keeping dogs.

Sarah Hunt, 49, of Boundary Lane, Saltney, previously pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates Court on Wednesday, February 1 to causing unnecessary suffering and failing to ensure animal welfare for the cross-bred Spaniel type dog known as Taf, who died in March 2022.

Appearing back before magistrates on Wednesday, March 1, Hunt was handed a suspended sentence and banned from keeping dogs, which meant she had to give up ownership of her surviving pet dog Amy.

Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, Peter Mitchell said Hunt and her partner had acquired the 12-year-old black and white dog from a farm in January 2022.

The defendant's next-door neighbour was aware of the dog and had seen he appeared quiet, but was otherwise in good condition apart from some long nails.

The court heard Taf was "predominantly" kept outside and on one occasion, got into the neighbour's garden, and the neighbour noticed the dog had begun to deteriorate.

The neighbour, in a witness statement, said she had been throwing food over the fence to feed the dog as she was concerned it was looking thin, and reported the case to the RSPCA.

Later, she saw the dog had deteriorated further, with all of Taf's ribs visible and "sunken eyes", while the defendant's garden was "in a mess", with food and waste everywhere and over 50 bags of rubbish.

The matter was reported again to the RSPCA and an inspector visited the home on March 18, 2022. Hunt told the inspector the dog had died the previous day and been buried in the back garden.

The court heard Taf had never been to the vets and had been kept in an outhouse.

For a post-mortem examination to take place, the dog's body was exhumed.

A vet expert examined Taf and found, in the post-mortem examination, the dog had poor body condition, with a total lack of fats, and muscle wastage. The dog weighed 14kg.

Inside the dog were foreign bodies, including cotton and grass in the stomach. The cotton had caused peritonitis and the dog had ultimately died of septic shock.

The vet expert added the dog had been in that condition for some time, up to three weeks.

The court heard Hunt had no previous convictions.

Defending, Chloe Young said Hunt had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and knew she should have acted differently.

Hunt was an "extremely vulnerable adult" who was "very remorseful for what has happened".

The court heard Hunt and her partner at the time had rehomed Taf, but the dog did not get on well with the two dogs already at the property, so Taf was kept outside.

Hunt realised, in hindsight, the dog should have been rehomed. Taf was being fed "twice a day" and given water.

By March, her partner was in custody and Hunt was "in a bad way and unable to think rationally", and "hid herself away".

She had spoken to her mother, who advised taking the dog to the vets if his condition got worse. Hunt planned to take the dog to the vet when her partner was out of custody on March 28, but the dog had died in the meantime.

The court heard Hunt was "well intentioned", but the "care was incompetent".

Hunt was "no longer with her partner" and trying to turn her life around.

Of the two other dogs, one was diagnosed with cancer and sadly died, while the other was named Amy and still in Hunt's ownership.

Magistrates sentenced Hunt to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and she must carry out 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Hunt was banned from keeping dogs for two years, which meant the dog Amy would have to be rehomed.

She must also pay £500 court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.