CONFINED to a disgusting excrement-strewn bathroom, German shepherd Sasha was left starving with no natural light.The five-year-old dog dropped to a third of its normal weight, and was so traumatised that a vet had to use sedatives before examining her.

CONFINED to a disgusting excrement-strewn bathroom, German shepherd Sasha was left starving with no natural light.

The five-year-old dog dropped to a third of its normal weight, and was so traumatised that a vet had to use sedatives before examining her.

Owner Ruth Rose was given a conditional discharge by magistrates after admitting she allowed the dog to live in such horrific conditions.

Estranged husband Warren Rose did not even bother to attend South East Suffolk Magistrates Court. He was convicted of animal cruelty in his absence and awaits sentence on arrest.

RSPCA Inspector Marc Niepold said he was shocked by the conditions the dog had been kept in.

He said: "I've got a strong stomach, but I nearly puked-up when I walked into that bathroom. I don't know what happened to the dog, but she was left completely terrified of men.

"I've been in the RSPCA for 11 years and I've never seen a dog react like she did with the vet - whining, cringing, barking and screaming.

"She was emaciated and she had a chronic ear infection in both ears and hair loss on her back.

"She was traumatised, frightened, very depressed and subdued."

Magistrates had earlier heard how the alarm was raised only after Warren Rose allowed the dog out of his filthy hovel on the eighth floor of St Francis Court in Ipswich town centre.

RSPCA inspectors became aware of the dog's pitiful condition when Rose asked a friend to look after it.

But it was not the first time they had questioned the Roses' treatment of their pet. Mr Niepold was called to Warren Rose's former address in Bramford Lane on a number of occasions.

There, Sasha was left tied to a fence in the back yard. But her conditions of care were never so serious that the dog was removed.

Thankfully, Mr Niepold was able to report a happy ending to a shocking tale of filth and mistreatment.

As you can see from the RSPCA pictures, Sasha is now able to boast the athletic physique and glossy coat you would expect from a healthy German shepherd.

And she is also enjoying the warmer climes of a new country - her new owners live in Portugal.

Mr Niepold said: "She is a completely different dog. When we took her in her tail was drooped between her legs, now she can't stop wagging it."