A DOG owner was jailed for two months for allowing one animal to die and leaving another emaciated.

Durham magistrates heard that Tracy Turnbull, 41, of Oxhill Villas, New Kyo, Stanley, inherited her partner's Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross-breed and Doberman Pincer cross breed following the pair's break-up, last year.

She kept them at allotments behind Unity Terrace, New Kyo, as her landlord did not allow them to be kept in the house.

In January RSPCA inspector Gavin Butterfield visited the site and found the Doberman dead and the bull terrier severely emaciated.

Prosecuting, John Flynn said that both dogs were less than half the normal weight for their breeds. He said: "The dog which was alive weighed 6.15kg. She was given a small amount of food, which she ate in a ravenous manner."

Mr Flynn said a vet found both had been victims of 'prolonged inadequate nutrition.'

William Davison, defending, said that Ms Turnbull, a mother-of-one, had been left with a £4,000 debt by her partner. He said she had also been under pressure from the illness and subsequent death of her mother.

Ms Turnbull admitted two counts of causing unnecessary suffering at the hearing on Monday.

She was sentenced to three months' in prison for each, reduced to two months to run concurrently, and banned from keeping animals for life.

Mr Butterfield said: "I think the punishment fits the crime. In terms of neglect, it's as bad as it could be, and I hope it sends a message to others."