An ailing couple have been convicted of starving their Prowling dog to death in one of the most horrific examples of animal cruelty investigators have ever seen.

Kerry Patterson, 35, and Reece Milburn, 30, claimed to discover three-year-old Tiggy abandoned on the side of the road and reported it to their local council.

An animal welfare officer came to their home in Blyth, Northumberland, and called the animal’s condition “the worst example he has seen in 15 years of work.”

Tiggy was photographed with hardly any fur on her body and her ribs protruding from her slim figure.

She was also very dehydrated, suffered from rashes and an infestation of dust mites, and was so weak that she could not stand.

Tiggy was discovered just days before Christmas in 2019 and her heartbreaking photographs went viral, prompting Northumberland County Council to launch an appeal to identify her owners.

A few days later, the council received dozens of letters saying that Tiggy was owned by Patterson and Milburn.

On Thursday, March 3, the couple appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court and admitted inflicting unnecessary suffering on a protected species.

They also agreed to neglect to take care of their other dog, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Enzo is a terrier who suffers from a skin disease and an infestation of mites.

The duo were sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, banned from owning or maintaining animals for the rest of their lives, and ordered to pay victim fees of £120 each.

According to a council spokeswoman, Philip Soderquest, it was “one of the most appalling and high-profile examples of animal cruelty the county has ever seen.”

“Our animal welfare team is working tirelessly to investigate cases of animal neglect and cruelty and bring the culprits to justice,” he added.

‘We were insisting that the former owners of Tiggy spend their day in court, and despite the fact that it took two years, we finally got the result we needed today,” says the lawyer.

Tiggy’s story ended happily thanks to the hard work of the Berwick Animal Rescue Centre team.

“She is an image of health and happiness, with a new home, a new life with dog friends and even a new name.’

The couple’s other dog, Enzo, is still in a kennel and is waiting for a permanent home.