Woman, 44, hoarded 1,100 rabbits in her dilapidated two-storey home

Animals found living in their own urine and faeces

Home had been under surveillance for three years

Most of the rabbits were so ill they had to be put down

A woman who hoarded more than 1,100 rabbits in her house has been fined $8,500 (£5,300) and banned for life from keeping more than one animal as a pet.

Shelley Zenner, 44, from Edmonton, Canada, was also ordered to take psychological counselling after earlier pleading guilty in court of causing distress to an animal.

A court heard how animal protection officers raided Zenner's two-storey home on March 12, 2011, and removed 589 rabbits - the largest single seizure of rabbits Edmonton Humane Society officials have ever witnessed.

Shelley Zenner, 44, from Edmonton, Canada, had more than 1,100 rabbits seized from her home in south Edmonton

They said the bunnies were everywhere, living in an environment full of urine and faeces with many injured or missing eyes or limbs.

Almost all of the rabbits were euthanised by EHS because they were suffering with the highly contagious, fatal respiratory infection known as snuffles.

Her home in Terwillegar, south west Edmonton, had been under surveillance since 2008. More than 1,100 rabbits were either removed or surrendered from the home over three years.

After the sentencing, Crown prosecutor Christian Lim described the animals' plight as a horrific story but also very sad.

He said: 'It certainly has to be one of the most dramatic and horrific scenes - hundreds of rabbits had taken over the house.

'They were coming out of the duct work and the floors had rotted because of the urine.

The rabbits were found to be living in inhumane conditions with many injured or missing eyes or limbs

Zenner, 44, pleaded guilty to causing distress under the Animal Protection Act Zenner's two-storey home in Terwillegar was under surveillance for three years before it was raided in March

'Rabbits had eaten through the wires - they were actually getting electrocuted because they were eating the wires.'

The court heard that it cost the EHS an estimated $200,000 (£150,000) in veterinary exams and putting down the animals

Zenner's mother and son were also charged in the rabbit hoarding but the charges were withdrawn.

Zenner, who was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following a robbery, apologised in court for her actions and said she had become sick and couldn't properly deal with the situation.