A MAN has been jailed after one dog was found dead along with 36 others living in filthy conditions.

Christopher Mark Bennett was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison after pleading guilty at Hastings Magistrates Court to causing unnecessary suffering to the  animals.

The dogs were found in a single room smelling of urine and faeces in June last year.

A woman, Gemma Brogan, was previously sentenced on similar charges relating to the same property in St Phillips Avenue in Eastbourne.

Inspector Cora Peeters, who visited the property, said: “When we opened the door, the noise level trebled and was quite unbearable. We were greeted by a sea of little faces all standing on top of each other in desperation to get to the door.

“The room was poorly lit but I could still tell a large number of these dogs were extremely underweight, their coats looked crusty and dreadlocked and the smell of urine and faeces was awful in the stuffy and airless room.

The Argus: Dogs were found underweight and suffering having no access to food or waterDogs were found underweight and suffering having no access to food or water

“The sheer noise and smell of the house alone was overwhelming but to then see the conditions the dogs were being kept in was really upsetting. I’m glad that we could rescue these dogs and they are now getting the care and love they deserve.”

She said a dead dog was found lying in the middle of the kitchen floor. Most of the other dogs were loose but two were found inside a filthy crate without any bedding in the kitchen, and another two were found in a small bedroom which was noticeably cleaner than the rest of the house but these dogs also had no access to food or water.

Examinations of the Yorkshire terriers, King Charles Cavalier spaniels and border collies found that many of them were seriously underweight, with one weighing 2.15kg.

A vet’s report found the dogs were suffering as a result of the conditions they were living in as well as a lack of food.

The period of suffering varied for each dog, but it is thought that they had been kept in the room for around four to 12 weeks.

Both Bennett and Brogan have been banned from keeping animals for at least five years, with Brogan ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work as well as taking part in rehabilitation activities.