A vile dog owner allowed her pet to starve to death in a filthy house it ripped to shreds looking for food, a court heard.

Carrie Hansford, 43, abandoned Rocky and left the Staffordshire Bull Terrier to a slow and painful death surrounded by huge piles of rubbish and his own waste. Eventually, a dog warden broke into her house in Southampton, Hants, with a warrant where he found Rocky’s emaciated and insect-riddled remains.

Animal handler Mark Knight told how he found the 10-year-old surrounded by piles of his own faeces after he was called to Hansford’s home. Upon entering the property, the former vet nurse said was greeted with an “overwhelming” smell.

He said: “The smell immediately indicated something was wrong and my thoughts straight away were I was going to find something dead. As I got into the kitchen, I immediately saw a lot of dog excrement – months and months’ worth.

“I looked by the kitchen bench and saw the emaciated dog on the floor, obviously dead. It was very distressing. I was a vet for six years and also an animal welfare officer and it is one of the worst cases in 10 years I have come across.

“It is clear the owner intended to leave the dog to die. She easily could have gotten assistance and help and that would’ve given the dog a chance. He had no chance being locked behind a door with no food or water.

“There were ripped packages, ripped everything, everywhere. The dog had been searching for food and trying to find a way to survive. As an animal warden, I am there for the welfare of animals. I felt raw emotion at that time.”

At Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court, Hants, Hansford was handed a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, alongside a five year ban and 100 hours of unpaid work.

She had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

The court heard that Rocky had died a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration and weighed only 6.75kg when he was found.

It is not known how long he lay dead for, but Southampton Magistrates’ Court previously heard Hansford saw Rocky the day after he died – December 17, 2022 – but left him there to rot. She abandoned the family dog to live with her new partner, the court heard.

Speaking on the sentence she received, Mr Knight added: “I think the sentence is quite shocking, but she now has five years to reflect and hopefully not do anything like this again.

Following the sentencing, an RSPCA spokesperson said: ” Dogs are completely reliant on their owners and to not provide for their needs is a breach of the law.

“Providing food, water and a suitable living environment are essential elements of that care. The vet highlighted Rocky had been left without food and water for a prolonged period of time and the suffering Rocky endured as a result is unimaginable.”