Man pleads guilty to starving dog until it 'looked like a skeleton with fur'

A man has pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to his pet dog, which had been so badly starved it had no muscles in its legs.

The Staffordshire bull terrier was removed from the care of its owner Shaun Musson in Chesterfield, Staffordshire, after a member of the public raised concerns about its welfare to the RSPCA.

Inspectors discovered the animal, named Maxie, was so weak that it was unable to walk up the stairs of a vet practice.

Maxie has been described as a Credit: RSPCA

A court heard that Maxie was given a low body score of one out of nine.

Maxie had weighed just 11kg, instead of the 18kg he should have weighed.

Maxie is now recovering and looking for a new home Credit: RSPCA

Musson has been disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years.

He was also handed him a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £300 in costs.

Maxie is now recovering well and being put for re-homing.