A PAIR of dog owners has been banned from keeping all animals for 15 years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to two German shepherds.

Christopher Biggs, 25, and Katherine Browne, 22 , both of Sizewell Road, Leiston, were sentenced at Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

At an earlier hearing, they had pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two German shepherds.

Biggs was banned from keeping all animals for 15 years and ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work along with being asked to pay �350 worth of costs.

Browne was also banned from keeping all animals for 15 years and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work along with being asked to pay �350 worth of costs.

It is understood the two dogs they owned had been starved to such an extent that one of them had to be put down.

The other was so weak it had to be carried to the van of the RSPCA inspector who rescued the animals between December 31 last year and January 2.

Inspector David Mitchell, who has been working with the RSPCA for 12 years, said he was reasonably happy with the punishment.

He said: “One of the dogs had to be put to sleep and the other one had to be physically carried to my van when we found it. It was the thinnest living dog that I have ever seen. It has now been re-homed.

“Hopefully a punishment such as this will send out the right message to others.

“The important thing is that it never has to get to that stage. There are plenty of animal welfare organisations out there that can help people.”