A PET owner who failed to feed, walk or clean up after her dog also failed to turn up at court yesterday.

Tina Hardy, 29, was due to appear before Teesside magistrates charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Instead, she sent a letter to the court admitting she had neglected Buster, her black and white cross-breed collie, and apologising for her behaviour.

Simon Catterall, prosecuting, said an RSPCA inspector had visited Hardy's home, in Cornfield Road, Thornaby, Teesside, after reports of an animal being mistreated.

"The first thing that struck him was the disgusting odour. He said the smell when he was inside was so overpowering it took his breath away," said Mr Catterall.

The inspector entered the kitchen where he saw an emaciated dog, with long nails, suggesting it had not been taken for walks, hardly any fur and growths hanging from its stomach.

The kitchen floor was covered with piles of dog dirt, over which the defendant had placed newspapers, creating "a huge sandwich of filth".

Hardy told the inspector the dog had not been to a vet for about five years, and agreed to sign it over to the RSPCA's care. The animal was later examined and found to be suffering from chronic dermatitis and diarrhoea. It is now recovering.

Mr Catterall urged the magistrates to ban the defendant from keeping animals. Hardy was ordered to appear in court on June 13 when the case will resume.

* The Northern Echo began its award-winning Animal Watch campaign in conjunction with the RSPCA, to highlight the region's app-alling record of animal cruelty