A COUPLE have been banned from keeping animals for three years after they caused unnecessary suffering to a dog.

Darlington magistrates saw pictures of a white and black female lurcher owned by Craig Wallis, 25, of Lansdowne Street, Darlington.

They show a red, blistered and bleeding rash, caused by a mite, which stretched from the dog's head, down its throat, over its belly and legs.

An RSPCA vet described the rash as the worst she had seen in her seven-year career and said it must have affected the animal for about two months, before it was rescued by the animal charity.

The dog had to be anaesthetised and was hospitalised for two or three days.

Wallis was found guilty at a previous hearing of causing suffering and permitting suffering to take place. Yesterday, he was given a 100-hour community punishment order, fined £200 costs and disqualified from keeping pets for three years.

His girlfriend, Suzanne Mills, 21, of Hundens Lane, Darlington, who was found guilty of permitting suffering to take place, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and fined £50 costs as well as the ban.

The RSPCA spent hundreds of pounds nursing the lurcher back to health, and more than £2,300 bringing Wallis and Mills to court.

Graham Hunsley, defending, said Wallis had two other dogs that were in good condition, and said the defendants had tried to seek advice from a number of places about the problem.