A woman who abandoned her pet guinea pigs was discharged without conviction in the New Plymouth District Court on Friday.

A New Plymouth woman prosecuted for abandoning her pet guinea pigs has escaped conviction.

Andrea Mylie Tui Flynn had previously pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Animal Welfare Act after the North Taranaki SPCA charged her with deserting the two guinea pigs after she dumped them at Lake Rotomanu in May.

According to the summary of facts, Flynn asked the SPCA on May 29 for help but was told by staff they already had a large number of guinea pigs and were not in a position to take them. Several other suggestions were provided to Flynn, who was also told of the risk of prosecution if she dumped the pets.

Later that day, a member of the public arrived at the SPCA with one of the guinea pigs which he had found at a Lake Rotomanu rest area.

On May 30, Flynn admitted to an animal welfare inspector that she had abandoned the pets. The summary of facts said Flynn told the inspector her children had "grown tired of the animals and didn't want to care for them any more".

"She told the inspector that she had decided to abandon them at Lake Rotomanu as it was 'freedom'," the summary stated.

During a hearing in the New Plymouth District Court on Friday, lawyer Patrick Mooney applied for a discharge without conviction for the 36-year-old.

He said convictions would impact on Flynn's ability to find work, a consequence which outweighed the seriousness of the offending.

Flynn's affidavit said she started to look for another home for the guinea pigs three months before she abandoned them.

This included inquiring with friends and the pet shop and putting a note up on a supermarket noticeboard offering to give the animals away for free.

"I was at my wits end. Indeed it must have been clear to the person at the SPCA that I was quite distressed as to how to dispose of the guinea pigs. I had visited Lake Rotomanu before. I had seen chickens and other young bird life there. I assumed that they would be able to fend for themselves there especially as their diet was primarily grass," she said.

Flynn's application was opposed by the Crown, who acted on behalf of the SPCA.

However, Judge Chris Sygrove wasted no time in discharging the woman without conviction.

"This is absolutely low-end offending," he said.

"I'm surprised that this matter was even opposed."

The judge said Flynn had made numerous attempts to find another home for the unwanted pets.

"You did everything you could possibly do to properly get rid of the guinea pigs in as humane a way as possible," he said.

SPCA's North Taranaki spokeswoman Jackie Poles Smith said the Sygrove's ruling had left the organisation frustrated.

"We're disappointed and we don't think it sends out a very good message at all," she said.

"If people take on pets, they should take on the responsibility too."

Poles Smith said one of the rescued guinea pigs was available for adoption, while the other was still missing.