An RSPCA officer described an overpowering smell of decay, no muscle tone over his pelvis, spine or back legs, and maggots around his head.

His owner, Jennifer Bentley, 47, of Loachbrook Farm Way, Congleton, admitted that Snoop had suffered diarrhoea for several months. She had not sought veterinary treatment.

A vet concluded that the cane corso had endured at least a month of gastrointestinal discomfort, malnutrition and psychological distress, as well as suffering from swallowing harmful objects.

Snoop’s ribs stand out beneath his brindle coat. His body is painfully thin, with deeply sunken areas around his hindquarters.

His physical condition had deteriorated severely.

The court heard that Snoop had been eating bleach, plastic and shoes — behaviour the vet said may have reflected hunger or frustration.

His prolonged diarrhoea and weight loss pointed to a chronic medical condition that had gone untreated. While the precise cause of death could not be established, the veterinary evidence identified prolonged suffering before he died.

After his death, his body was wrapped in a rug and left in the back garden.

An RSPCA officer discovered Snoop’s remains at Bentley’s former home in Aspen Close, Congleton, after investigating reports of animals left at the property and a possible dead dog in the garden.

Bentley told the officer that a cremation company had instructed her to put him outside.

She pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 concerning her failure to address Snoop’s weight loss and poor body condition.

At South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court in Crewe, she received:

– A lifetime ban on owning animals.

– A 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

– An order to pay £400 in court costs.