A COUPLE have been banned from owning animals after leaving their Shar Pei to starve.

Sharon Pendleton and Christopher Shaw from Hartlepool neglected Kizzy, causing her to lose a third of her body weight, she was also blind in one eye as cataracts had not been treated and her claws were so badly overgrown they were starting to curl round and dig into her paws, town magistrates were told.

RSPCA officials found Kizzy in the kitchen of Pendleton’s home after receiving an anonymous call in January this year. Kevin Campbell, prosecuting, said the eight-year-old dog weighed around 1st 12lbs. The normal weight for a Shar Pei is around 2st 12lbs. Mr Campbell added: “A vet was contacted and it would have been obvious to anybody that the dog was deteriorating and suffering unnecessarily.”

The couple were banned from owning any animals for six years. Kizzy has now put on weight and has been re-homed by the RSPCA.