A man has been banned from keeping animals for 15 years after an emaciated dog was found living among rubbish and faeces at a Rochdale property.
Paul Lewis Dawson, of Brownside Road, Burnley, admitted three animal welfare offences involving a bullbreed dog called Kano.
Dawson, 37, was given a 22-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months at Tameside Magistrates' Court on 31 July.
He was also ordered to complete 18 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £400 costs.
The RSPCA began investigating on 6 August 2025 after receiving reports that Kano had been left unattended at a property on Alice Street in Rochdale.
RSPCA inspector Beth Fazackerley attended with animal rescue officer Francesca Iraci and saw the dog through the keyhole.
Ms Fazackerley said Kano appeared very skinny and ate wet dog food which she pushed through the letterbox after nobody answered the door.
The RSPCA obtained a warrant with Greater Manchester Police and returned to the property that evening with a police officer.
Ms Fazackerley said: "Kano walked around five metres and then slumped to the ground. He remained on the ground for around 20 seconds and then stood back up.
"He was itchy and used his back legs to scratch his chest and rolled around on the grass to get some comfort. His ribs, hip bones, spine and other bones were easily visible and his head appeared angular. I noticed two wounds with scabs on Kano; one above his left shoulder and the other on his right elbow. Both were moist with pus present.
"He had sparse fur all over with fur loss concentrated around his hindquarters. His nails were long and his fur and skin appeared dirty with brown crust occurring in multiple places on his body.
"The most striking concern was the amount of fleas present on Kano. I have never seen fleas in such large clumps before."
Rubbish and dirty belongings were found piled among faeces inside the property.
A vet concluded Kano was suffering because of an insufficient diet which had caused hunger and severe weight loss. The vet said he had been suffering for at least three weeks and likely longer.
The dog was also suffering from a flea infestation and anaemia.
The vet said the conditions inside the property were unsuitable and unsanitary, with animals exposed to ammonia odour from the waste.
Dawson admitted causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide Kano with a suitable diet, adequate veterinary treatment for his skin condition and flea infestation, and a suitable living environment.
The offences were contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The RSPCA said the judge described it as "the most serious case of animal cruelty I have ever dealt with".
In mitigation, Dawson's lawyers said he had shown remorse and pleaded guilty, and that he was suffering from a bereavement.
Kano was taken into the care of the RSPCA and has since been brought back to full health.
Ms Fazackerley said: "Providing an appropriate diet, veterinary care and environment is a fundamental responsibility for any pet owner.
"In this case it was clear Kano's basic needs were not being met, and he was suffering for some period of time. We are grateful to the members of the public that reported him to us, so we could rescue him before his condition deteriorated further."
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