A CINDERFORD woman who kept her Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Labrador cross in ’appalling conditions’ has been banned from keeping dogs indefinitely.

The dog, ’Maisie’ was underweight, malnourished and could not access her water when RSPCA inspectors visited the home of her owner, Nicola Jones, 46 of York Road, Cinderford, last April.

Maisie was living in a crate in ’appalling conditions,’ justices at Cheltenham were told. She was a ’lively dog who would often upset her food and tear up her bedding,’ it was said.

Helen Blundell, a solicitor for the Forest of Dean District Council, said: “Maisie had sore patches to her face and feet and was underweight.

“This is a dog that was clearly emaciated – the suffering was clearly visible.”

Maisie weighed 13.26kg - far below the 17-25Kg normal weight of a dog her size.

Chairman of the Cheltenham Magistrates Celia Hargrave fined Jones £150 and asked her to pay £150 prosecution costs as well as a victim surcharge of £30.

She also banned Jones from keeping a dog or being concerned in the keeping of a dog indefinitely.

Maisie was voluntarily signed over to the care of the RSPCA in May last year and has since made a full recovery. She is currently looking for her forever home.

Councillor Tim Gwilliam, leader of the Forest of Dean District Council said: “ We take animal welfare seriously and we are pleased that the magistrates agreed that Jones should be disqualified from keeping or looking after any dogs in the future.”