A PREGNANT mother-of-two left her pet dog to starve in the hope that she would find it dead and could bury it without anybody knowing.

Chloe Cutler, of Newton Aycliffe, neglected the young Rottweiler for months before it was found dead in the house that Cutler had abandoned.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal between December 23, 2016 and January 23, 2017.

Kevin Campbell, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said the dog endured a long death that was entirely avoidable.

“When the RSPCA got into the property they found a very skinny Rottweiler carcass, the dog was dead under a blanket.” He said.

“It was sent off to the pathologist who said the dog died of starvation over many months.

“It could have been avoided had she have just given it some food, there were three tins of dog food on the side.

“The dog had also drank bleach from the toilet because it was so thirsty and the whole house was covered in dog poo.”

The RSPCA had already visited the house on Henderson Road on a separate occasion but found the dog in a reasonable condition.

Cutler, who has two children, one with respiratory problems, said she moved out of the house just before Christmas because she lost her electricity card.

A report submitted by probation said Cutler went to stay with her mother and couldn’t take the dog because her mother already had animals.

Cutler then moved to Stockton but claims she was feeding the animal at least every other day.

Jayne Todd, of the probation service, added: “She knew the dog was losing weight for about four weeks but could not afford vet care. She returned to the house and left the dog again fully aware of the dire condition it was in.

“She planned to return to find it dead and then bury it in the garden thinking nobody else would need to know about it because she was embarrassed and upset.”

Calum Terry, mitigating, said the expectant mother was “a young girl struggling on her own with two young children” at the time.

Adding: “She takes full responsibility and has been upset since the very start of this. At the time her priority was her young children.”

Nick Edgar, chair of the bench at Newton Aycliffe Magistrate’s Court, said: “I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself, this is a particularly callous case.

“You stayed away from a property that you imprisoned this dog in hoping it would die so you could dispose of it. It’s absolutely terrible. I hope you’re caring for your children better than you cared for the dog that died.”

Cutler was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, reduced to 17 weeks for pleading guilty, suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to pay £360 legal costs and a £115 victim surcharge and was banned from keeping animals for life.