Four cats and a pet dog were forced to eat each other to stay alive after their owner abandoned them for three months, a court heard.
Lorraine Peake, 48, left her cross-bred doberman and four white cats to starve to death in squalor when she moved house in March this year.
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Alcoholic Peake pleaded guilty to five counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal between May 13 and May 27 when she appeared at Bolton Magistrates Court on Friday.
The court heard that Peake, aged 48, had not been living at the house for the previous three months and had gone into rehab two days before officers were called.
The former pub landlady claimed that she paid a man called Andy £50 to look after the animals, but could not provide any further details to the RSPCA.
She walked past the house several times and knew the animals were inside but did not go inside to check on them.
The court was told that one of the cats had been dead for up to 19 days and was 'feasted upon by the surviving animals'.
The other animals survived longer while eating the carcass but had been dead between seven and 10 days when they were found.
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'The dog was found in the kitchen, lying across a chair, with its ribs showing through the fur. It was emaciated and had maggots dripping from it.
'In the living room there was a thick layer of faeces along the window.
'The RSPCA inspector formed the opinion that the animals were left to their own devices for a long time.
'There was no food or water in the house and all the windows were shut.'
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It does not get any worse than when your animals have to eat each other in desperation to try and survive, and then die of dehydration and starvation.
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Magistrates adjourned the case for a report from the probation service and warned that all sentencing options would be considered on November 19.
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