A WOMAN has been given a lifetime ban from keeping animals because of the “horrific” suffering of her pets.

The ban was handed to Adele Ankers at Wrexham Magistrates Court yesterday after she pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and two charges of failing in her responsibility for their welfare.

In March an RSPCA officer visited her home in Heol Maelor, Coedpoeth, and found two German Shepherd dogs and two cats were badly malnourished and living in squalor.

After agreeing to sign the animals over to the RSPCA, Ankers, 39, told the officer that she also had two dead terriers at the property.

Glen Murphy, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said: “The two German Shepherds were emaciated and very hungry. There was urine and faeces on the kitchen floor and no dog food in the house.

“One of the cats had an exceptionally matted coat, so extreme that a full body shave under sedation would be required to treat it. The other had a litter of kittens.”

The animals were taken to New Broughton Vets where the body condition of both German Shepherds was assessed as ‘one out of nine’, both having no body fat and suffering from malnutrition, with their matted coats covered in faeces.

Mr Murphy said the two dead terriers were both emaciated through lack of food.

One was found to have cardboard and plasticine inside its stomach, as it had attempted to eat what it could in order to feed its hunger.

The German Shepherds have since been re-homed and the two cats are also likely to be found new homes, Mr Murphy added.

Ian Barnes, defending, said care worker Ankers had struggled with the death of her partner, aged 41, and had not been looking after herself, her house or the animals.

He said: “She is genuinely remorseful. She neglected herself, her home and her animals.

“Her life fell apart when her partner died. It was a traumatic event last October.”

Pamela Roberts of the Probation Service added that Ankers was suffering with depression and wasn’t able to care for the animals, but had been “too embarrassed to ask for help”.

Chairman of the bench Andy Stubbs said: “The suffering of the animals in this case is quite horrific.

“However, we have heard of the problems in your life and the death of your partner.”

Ankers was given a 16-week community order, to be electronically tagged to an 8pm-8am curfew, and banned from owning, keeping or looking after any animals for life.

She will also pay £300 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.