A Moray woman was banned from keeping animals yesterday after she admitted starving her dog to death.

Samantha Little, 22, kept the crossbreed in such pitiful condition that its body was found among piles of droppings after it had eaten poisonous painkillers.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard Little called her support worker twice on the day the dog – an adult male lurcher-collie called Hamish – was found dead.

Fiscal Depute Kevin Corrins said the first call was a request to visit the property with some dog food and the second, at 6pm, was to advise that the animal had died and she didn’t know what to do with its remains.

A worker from the Scottish SPCA went to Little’s then home at 20 Forbes Court, Elgin, and found Hamish’s remains “in a particularly emaciated condition, with faeces lying around the body”, he added.

“No food or water was available for the dog, and dry bowls were found in the kitchen area,” said Mr Corrins.

The court heard empty and chewed ibuprofen packets were also found in the kitchen.

When the animal’s remains were sent for post mortem the vet found rigor mortis had disappeared and decomposition was beginning to set in.

The cause of death was confirmed as starvation combined with ibuprofen toxicity.

Analysis showed Hamish had suffered severe muscle loss in his limbs and trunk and his eyes were milky white in colour and “completely sunken in”.

The vet found no dental abnormalities to explain why he might have stopped eating, and said ulcerations in the dog’s stomach were consistent with him having consumed ibuprofen.

The fiscal concluded: “The changes to the dog would have been evident to any owner.”

The pet was judged to have starved to death between March 1 and April 4 last year.

Little admitted the charges to police when she was questioned last April.

Yesterday, her solicitor Stephen Carty said she and her former partner had looked after the dog together until they split up.

Mr Carty said: “Her family situation at the time was very difficult, but she accepts she did not care for the animal.

“She did make efforts to rectify the situation by calling her support worker but that was all rather late in the day.”

Little, now of 18b Covesga Road in Elgin, was banned from owning any animal for 10 years and sentenced to 100 hours community service.

Sheriff Susan Raeburn ordered Ms Little to perform 100 hours of community service in the next three months.