THE RSPCA and police officers called out to greyhound breeder Clive Elliott’s Pinehurst kennels were confronted with a vision of hell.

Dead dogs were lying on what passed for beds: wooden slats over which had been thrown thin towels.

The corpse of another animal had been stuffed into a black bin liner and left in a freezer.

The dogs that survived were so thin you could count the vertebrae sticking from their backs. They were more like skeletons than racing greyhounds in prime condition.

Swindon magistrates heard the hounds had been lying down so long they had developed weeping pressure sores.

Simon Coombs, an RSPCA inspector for two decades, was one of the first on the scene last April.

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Pictures show the emaciated animals Picture: RSPCA

“It was initially a call from the police because they’d had a call about a domestic incident at the time. They were made aware of the dogs and they contacted us,” he said.

“I attended with a colleague. It was an upsetting sight to come across.

“The kennels themselves were quite bland: concrete flooring, wooden shelves for a bed ad towels for bedding.

“They were clean and there was water available but no food.

“Two of the deceased dogs were lying on the shelving units.

“Obviously it’s quite distressing to look at.”

Read more: Swindon greyhound trainer jailed for 20 weeks for 'appalling' cruelty

Asked how he had dealt with the incident Mr Coombs said: “I think anything where an animal is in some kind of distress or has passed away is always very sad to come across.

“You go into work mode and deal with it as appropriately as you can.”

The inspectors rescued the surviving dogs, photographing their emaciated bodies in order to keep a record of trainer Elliott’s shocking neglect.

They were taken to an RSPCA centre and put on emergency rations. All the dogs were ravenous. One of the beasts’ body weight increased by a third in just one month. The RSPCA’s solicitor told magistrates: “The vet puts this purely down to providing the proper food.”

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One of the dogs rescued from Elliott's home Picture: RSPCA

Sadly, a dog that had been saved from the house died around a week after it was rescued. It had gulped down its food but grew sick and vets took the decision to put it down.

Post-mortem investigations on the dead dogs revealed signs of weeks if not months of neglect. They included pointers like bone marrow turning to a glutinous sludge.

Interviewed by RSPCA officers last summer, Elliott admitted he had not been coping. He had not visited the kennels, which were in his mum’s home, for around four days before the authorities visited in April.

Mr Coombs urged any pet owner who was struggling to seek support early.

“It’s not always easy, but for any animal owner if you find yourself in any need of help ask – be it from family members of organisations like ourselves or any other organisation that can offer assistance,” he said.

“Once you ask for help you’re helping yourself and, in this case, the animals.”

The RSPCA’s 24-hour animal cruelty helpline is on 0300 1234 999. Normal phone charges apply.