A BURNLEY woman left two Staffordshire bull terriers to starve and then threw them out with the rubbish.

Sheridan Greer, 23, had left Patch and Duke to fend for themselves inside her terrace house in Reed Street, the town’s magistrates court was told.

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RSPCA investigators were called in by social services when the bodies of the two dogs were left dumped in the rear yard of the Burnley Wood property in January.

Inspector Lyndsey Taylor said: “They were just thrown out like pieces of rubbish and that’s the awful image that will stay with me.”

Greer told the RSPCA, when interviewed, that she had been unable to look after the two dogs, aged just 12 months and 18 months, after her benefits were cut and her boyfriend moved out.

But the animal charity said it was dismayed that instead of alerting the organisation, she left the dogs, and two cats, to battle for their own survival.

Their inquiry showed that the dogs had tried to rip open bin bags and even ate old cans and dish cloths because they were so hungry.

Ms Taylor said: “When we went into the house the smell was overpowering and we couldn’t believe the mess which had been left behind.”

The dogs had been left without food or water, even though Greer had returned to the property several times while she was away stopping with a friend.

Veterinary tests conducted after the dogs died showed that they were 20 per cent underweight. It was difficult to establish how long they had been without food, as Greer went back to the property, but it was apparent it would have been over a number of weeks.

Ms Taylor added: “It is up there with the worst cases I have had to deal with. Unfortunately I have had to deal with animals which have been left to starve before but this was worse, as they had been just thrown out.

“She may have been having problems looking after the dogs but there is no excuse for what she did. It was a pretty heartless and callous thing to do.”

Greer, who admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Patch and Duke, and failing to provide a suitable environment for the cats, was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to pay £200 court costs.

Speaking after the case Cllr Jeff Sumner, who represents Burnley Wood, said: “This is the lowest of the low. People in Burnley Wood love their dogs, especially Staffies, and they will be sickened by this.

“If people around there had known about this then they would have taken the dogs off her hands. How would she like to be left to starve? It’s disgraceful.”