A 31-year-old woman has admitted leaving three dogs wallowing in their own faeces without food or water over a “prolonged” period.

Shontel Buckley admitted leaving the dogs at her mother’s house which is where police found them suffering in September last year, prosecutor Nishma Shah told Suffolk Magistrates’ Court.

The house was extremely dirty with faeces all over the floor and the pets were suffering from worms and flees.

No attempt had been made to take them to the vet, Ms Shah said.

It was then heard the charity Mutts In Distress took the dogs in and said they have now become sociable creatures again.

Ms Shah added that while on bail for that offence, Buckley also committed a string of six shop thefts.

She was previously convicted of these thefts and took alcohol, food, laundry pods, toys and baby formula from various shops.

The total cost of all the items stolen amounted to £900.

Prior to these offences she was also convicted of criminal damage.

The prosecutor explained that on January 14 last year she wrote “pedo” on a man’s front door at Ware in Hertfordshire and threw food all over his car then came back a few days later and threw food on his car again.

However, the court heard Buckley has been battling drug addiction and has now been engaging with probation and providing clean drug tests.

Buckley, of St Edmunds Court, Thetford in Norfolk, was arrested in Suffolk. 

The case was adjourned pending pre-sentence reports and Buckley was released on bail.