A DOG breeder starved his puppies and locked them in crates and cat carriers hidden under sheets. 

Emmanuel Paul, 37, also failed to give the animals, which he sold, any water, bedding or toys.

The RSPCA investigated amid concerns for his five adult dogs and two litters of 17 puppies, all Cane Corsos.

Five cat carriers were found each with a single underweight puppy during an inspection in November 2020.

The outlines of their ribs, hips and spines were showing when they moved around the flat.

Inspector Nichola Johnson was concerned about their weight and saw no food in the flat. Paul said he had run out and had not had a chance to get more.

Three puppies were also found in one crate and four in another during the visit in Rugby, Warickshire.

Urgent vet checks concluded they unnecessarily suffered.

One puppy was put down three days before the visit because of its poor condition and that Paul could not afford treatment.

Insp Johnson said one photograph of the puppy was "horrific and stopped me in my tracks".

Earlier visits by another officer in September and October 2020 found one underweight female with fresh and deep lacerations, thought to be from fighting another dog. 

Another puppy was described as "lethargic and listless".

Insp Johnson said Paul could never afford the treatment that vets told him they needed, adding: "It suggests a lack of, or unwillingness to spend, money on the animals in his care going back to March 2020.

"Which in turn leads me to be concerned as to why the dogs were bred other than for monetary gain."

She said: “As soon as I entered the flat I could hear what sounded like a large number of puppies barking and squealing from what is the living area.

"The smell of ammonia in the property was extremely strong.

“There was a lot of noise coming from the kitchen area and a space next to it. All I could see was some sheets covering up something.

“I began removing the sheets to find in total two black crates and five cat carriers, all containing puppies.

"None of the accommodation had water or bedding provided and were completely devoid of any toys or environmental enrichment."

The adults were taken in by the local housing association and boarded by Dogs Trust. Three were signed over for rehoming and two remained in the charity's care but can now be rehomed.

Paul, who now lives in Manchester, admitted three animal cruelty offences at Coventry magistrates court.

He got 22 weeks in jail, a five-year ban on keeping animals and must pay £2,000 in costs.

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