A Canberra woman who kept starved and dehydrated dogs has been ordered to complete 300 hours community service after a magistrate condemned the "distressing" appearance of the animals.
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The RSPCA went to the home of Kelly Maree Allen, 35, after a member of the public reported three dogs were being kept in poor conditions in her Kambah backyard in March.
Inspectors discovered two dogs in the yard, as well as a caged area that contained ducks, chickens and roosters, but could not see any food or water for the dogs.
A bull mastiff in the yard was extremely thin and its hips, ribs and spine were clearly visible. It also had two large ulcers on its ears.
Inspectors found a third dog, which was also extremely thin with bones visible, without food or water in the laundry of the house.
Allen agreed for all the animals to be surrendered to the RSPCA.
A vet who assessed the pets found the two dogs were underweight with dry, scaly skin and sunken eyes, indicating they were malnourished and dehydrated as a result of weeks of poor nutrition.
Allen pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to failing to provide adequate food and water and failing to alleviate pain related to the two dogs.
During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, her defence lawyer said Allen was aware images of the two dogs were shocking and acknowledged her care of the animals had been compromised.
She said Allen, a single mother of four children, was under financial strain and could not afford veterinary treatment.
Allen inquired about surrendering the animals to the RSPCA but was told there was a waiting list and a surrender fee of $150 per dog, the lawyer said.
She said her client had fed the dogs, though she acknowledged the food might not have been adequate or nutritious, and said the inspectors had arrived at the house before she'd had a chance to feed the dogs that morning.
But Magistrate Bernadette Boss said that claim didn't line up with the facts of the case as she held up a photograph of one of the dogs - which she described as "distressing" - and said: "This dog has been starved and it has suffered. It is a living thing and it has starved and suffered."
Prosecutors said the RSPCA had arrangements for dogs to be surrendered if owners could not afford the fees and Allen's claims were "a deflection of blame" that could not reduce her moral culpability..
In handing down her sentence, Dr Boss accepted Allen had shown remorse and was otherwise of good character, but said members of the community cared for their animals and were often deeply distressed by such behaviour.
"These are clearly animals that have suffered, and they have suffered at your hand," she said.
"If you cannot afford to feed animals, if you cannot afford veterinary bills, you should in no way be caring for animals."
She ordered Allen carry out 300 hours of community service, serve a two-year good behaviour order, and banned her from owning animals for five years.
RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said the case was the sixteenth animal ownership ban that had been ordered by ACT courts since January last year.
"Each animal that comes through our shelter matters to us, and we appreciate the fact that the magistrate in this court case demonstrated similar beliefs.
"Hopefully, these prosecutions will deter more people from owning pets if they are not going to take their responsibilities seriously."
