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A woman’s been banned for life from keeping pets after neglecting her dog so badly, a veteran RSPCA inspector was forced to retire after witnessing its suffering.

Anne Allport’s pet terrier Poppy was a “bag of bones” when police found it on death’s door, huddled in a flea-ridden blanket at her Middlesbrough home.

The property was caked in faeces and urine, and “may well be the worst house you have ever seen”, Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard.

Blind, starved and barely even able to stand, vets were forced to put the 15-year-old terrier to sleep.

“I’ve been in this job for 30 years and this case brought me to the decision that it was time to retire,” said RSPCA inspector Ian Smith.

“It is really rather depressing for anybody in this day and age to allow a dog to get into this state and do nothing about it.”

However she was spared prison by magistrates after sobbing Allport told the bench: “I’m ashamed.”

Police only discovered the suffering by chance after neighbours reported a disturbance at her Costa Street property.

Officers found Poppy, as well as a cat named Jasper, in the “disgusting” home, with the ginger shorthaired feline’s skin “all crusty and flea bitten”.

At Thursday morning’s hearing, Jasper was said to have been found in a “dingy” condition.

But Poppy was in the most shocking state, unable to stand an in pain due to horrific wounds.

Unsuccessful attempts were made to save the elderly dog, owned by Allport since it was a puppy, although Jasper was saved and later re-homed.

When interviewed by police, 48-year-old Allport refused to answer questions.

But she pleaded guilty earlier this month to four charges, including causing unnesccersary suffering to an animal.

The case was stood down then for the probation service to carry out a pre-sentence report, with the neglect so bad prison was an option.

Magistrates agreed that the custody threshold had been passed, but unemployed Allport was spared jail after hearing she had suffered from depression since she was a teenager.

The court heard she had been involved in domestic spats with her ex-husband, but after he moved out her brother moved in.

And it was claimed he would urinate in the front room where he would then sleep - in the nude.

“She had let everything go, not only her care of the animals but she was not controlling her life,” claimed her solicitor in mitigation.

“Ms Allport is deeply ashamed about the way the way the animals have been treated.”

He said the benefit claimant had tried turning her life around by applying for jobs.

She’s also moved from her filthy old home to a new property in Linthorpe Road.

And when asked if she had anything to add, weeping Allport said: “I’m ashamed of myself - I shouldn’t have let it get like that.”

Magistrates sentenced her to 16 weeks in jail, but suspended it for a year.

She won’t be able to appeal her lifetime ban on keeping animals for a decade.

And Mr Smith added: “She deserved her sentence of a lifetime ban.”