A WIRRAL woman has been banned from owning animals for life after she allowed her four-month-old puppy to starve to death, leaving its body in the kitchen her Birkenhead home.

RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes found Springer Spaniel Cali lying dead in the kitchen of the Seymour Street property in November last year, describing it as the “most depressing” sight he has seen in his career.

On Wednesday, her owner, 39-year-old Claire Johnston, pleaded guilty to three charges under the animal welfare act.

She admitted failing to investigate and address the causes of Cali’s poor body condition and weight loss, the provision of proper and necessary veterinary care and attention for a flea infestation and failing to meet Cali’s needs for a suitable environment.

Johnston appeared at Wirral magistrates where her solicitor Matthew Harvey said she had been suffering mental health problems at the time.

He told district judge Michael Abelson that Johnston accepted that “nothing she could do even by way of punishment will make up for the loss of the dog’s life”.

The court heard that Johnston had forgotten to feed the dog on some days.

She said the dog was fed twice a day but said she had occasionally forgotten to feed her after feeling tired and falling asleep on the sofa.

When interviewed, Johnston told police she “did not know what she was thinking”.

Chris Murphy, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told the court how Cali was in an extremely evacuated state, weighing just 4kg and with a body score of just one out of five.

The kitchen was piled high with clothes, plates, rubbish and out-of-date and mouldy food.

Cali’s fur was matted with faeces and RSPCA officers found relatively fresh food in her mouth.

During interview, Johnston said she had not noticed Cali suffering with diarrhoea or vomiting, and had not seen her looking for food but veterinary experts said it would have been obvious for “some weeks” before that the dog was becoming thin.

The vet said Cali “must have been suffering a great deal over the last two to four weeks of its life”.

Johnston said the last time she had seen the dog alive was on the morning of November 25 – the day before RSPCA inspectors attended her home.

She had discovered Cali dead in the kitchen after returning home from the shops at around 3pm that day.

Johnston was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £500 costs.

District judge Abelson spared her jail due to her severe mental health problems and the fact her partner has now given up work to care for her.

Following the hearing, inspector Joynes said: “Nothing will ever prepare you for arriving at a scene where an animal has been starved to death. I feel so saddened that we weren't alerted to Cali sooner so we could intervene."

If you would like to help the RSPCA to continue to bring animal cruelty cases to court, you can text HELP59 to 70099 to give £3.