The owner of a maggot-infested, severely neglected dog that had to be put down was fined less than $500 and avoided restrictions on keeping pets in the future.
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RSPCA inspectors went to the woman's home after concerns were raised about the treatment of "Lucky" in November.
The dog had been taken to a Tuggeranong vet by the owner's son-in-law, and was in such a state of neglect that it required immediate euthanisation, according to court documents.
Maggots were found in and on his body, and had eaten away some of his skin.
He was extremely skinny, had a large mass on his eye lid, advanced dental disease, "serious" cardiac problems, and matted hair all over.
According to court documents, when the owner was asked how long it had been since Lucky had been to a vet, she responded:
"It's been a while."
She was asked about the open sores on Lucky's body and is said to have replied:
"I don't know, I didn't even realise they were there."
The RSPCA located the owner's other dog, "Rocky", two weeks later at her home, and said it was in a similarly poor state of neglect.
It was said to have had a split tongue, overgrown nails, matted hair, an abnormal thickening of the outer layer of the skin, ulcerations over the corneas, and painful dental disease.
A veterinarian said its dry eyes and dental problems were causing "severe pain".
In a media statement, RSPCA senior veterinarian Lillian Wong said the owner should have noticed and sought treatment.
"The eyes in particular would have felt like the equivalent of a person not blinking for months. He has lost some of his eyesight as a result," she said.
Rocky survived and is understood to still be in RSPCA foster care.
The owner was charged and taken to the ACT Magistrates Court, where she was sentenced earlier this month.
In court, defence lawyer Rachel Bird said her client had been devastated by the loss of her animals, who were like her children.
Ms Bird said the owner, Annette Banks, 49, had been ill at the time of the flystrike, which moved faster than she could react.
But the prosecution argued the animals suffered a number of health issues, which did not all develop in the short timeframe of Banks' illness.
The prosecution said that, even when all health problems were taken into account, she should have taken the animals to the vet.
She was fined $483, including court costs and compensation, for two offences of failing to seek veterinary care, and was convicted for an offence of neglect, with no further action taken. Banks was not restricted from pet ownership.
The outcome has frustrated the RSPCA, which says the justice system is failing to match the punishment to the crime.
Chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said Canberrans would be disgusted at the outcome.
"You really have to question the justice system when a person can allow their pet's flesh to be eaten away by maggots and get slapped with a fine less than a parking ticket," she said.
The RSPCA said it approached the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the sentence, but the office declined to proceed.
It also sought $1900 in court costs, but was unsuccessful.
