The owner Kriss Kesson, 60, has now been banned from keeping dogs for at least 10 years and was given a suspended prison sentence.
On the afternoon of February 28 last year RSPCA officers went to Kesson’s home on Rydal Drive accompanied by the police, prosecutor Joel Wootten told Woolwich Crown Court.
Inside the home officers found three Rhodesian Ridgebacks and one Dalmatian, all of which were visibly emancipated with prominent ribs and hip bones.
They also found two dead puppies and a dead adult Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Mr Wootten said: “The defendant told officers the dog had died a few days earlier and he was waiting for rigor mortis to end so he could bury him, while the puppies had died a few weeks ago.”
When asked why the dogs were so emaciated, Kesson said he had a bad knee and wasn’t able to take them out for much exercise, so he had cut down their food.
The four living dogs – Ozzy, Max, Alice and Harry – were taken in by the RSPCA.
Mr Wootten said vets assessed that the dogs had been suffering for at least three weeks “if not certainly longer”.
Both Ozzy and Max died in RSPCA care while Harry and Alice have since made good recoveries.
Vets also assessed the dead dog’s bodies and found they were also significantly underweight.
Kesson pleaded guilty to four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
While he was released on bail with instructions not to keep any pets 10 more dogs and a number of fish were found in his home.
Defending, Ben Wild said Kesson had been raising dogs for 30 years and was incredibly attached to them.
He said that his health had deteriorated and the health of the dogs had followed.
In the end it had been Kesson who had called the RSPCA, the court heard.
On Tuesday, April 22, Judge Ben Gumpert KC sentenced Kesson to 30 weeks in custody, suspended for one year.
“These were sustained and prolonged periods of neglect, you failed to feed or care for these animals,” Judge Gumpert said.
He said Kesson’s behaviour suggested he was not remorseful, noting that the defendant had attempted to blame those who attempted to save the dog’s lives for their deaths.
