A mother and son who pleaded guilty to 12 animal cruelty charges between them told magistrates they lived on toast so they could feed their dogs and buy flea shampoo.

Pamela Mann, 57, and Richard Simpson, 29, from Brooklands Avenue in Thornton, were both put on community orders for 12 months at Bradford Magistrates court yesterday and given lifetime bans from keeping or having anything to do with any animal.

After a tip-off, an RSPCA inspector found three cross-breed dogs suffering from terrible skin conditions, two also blighted by eye problems and one of them extremely underweight with sores, one that was open and oozing.

One of the dogs called Sam, found shaking on a sofa and almost unable to stand because of muscle wastage, was in such a bad state he had to be put down.

The other two are now recovering and magistrates gave the RSPCA permission to find them new homes, removing them from Mann and Simpson’s ownership.

Unemployed Simpson told the court if he had thought the dogs were really suffering he would have done something about it.

“I went weeks and weeks without eating and drinking so the dogs could have food,” he said.

The unnecessary-suffering charges were all about failing to recognise the dogs’ needs, failing to notice weight loss and failing to get veterinary help.

Both defendants were ordered to pay £250 each towards the £4,238.43 costs of the case.

As part of Simpson’s community order, he will have to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work.