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A man who kept six dogs in his mice-infested home has been given an indefinite ban from keeping animals after five succumbed to neglect.

Reggie, a Rhodesian ridgeback, and two puppies were found dead at Kris Kesson’s property in Rydal Drive, Bexleyheath, following a visit by the RSPCA and police on February 28 last year.

RSPCA officer Tia Pennant said Reggie, whose skinny corpse was discovered in the living room, had been dead for a couple of days despite Kesson claiming he was waiting to bury him in the garden when “rigor mortis set in”.

One of the two dead puppies was also found sprawled on the top of a sofa.

A veterinary report found both were around two months old before they were found emaciated with body condition scores of one out of 10.

It was therefore not possible to determine their causes of death as no post-mortems could be carried out.

Three other ridgebacks were also found either underweight or emaciated at the property.

These included mum Alice, who was found with all of her ribs, spine and hip bone showing.

The other two dogs were also found to be suffering with flea infestations and fur loss which had scabbed over.

Both were seized by the police and taken into the care of the RSPCA, but were in such poor health they died within a fortnight of being rescued.

Post-mortems revealed one died of gastric dilation while the other was due to acute bacterial pneumonia caused by kennel cough. It was concluded the condition of both dogs was due to inadequate nutrition.

The vet said: “The decline and death of the two puppies, the death of the adult dog and the decline of the other dogs presents to me a picture of neglect.

"I am in no doubt that without the intervention of the RSPCA the other dogs would have died alongside those that had already passed away."

During Kesson’s sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court on April 22, the court heard the dogs were living in conditions so dire that carpets were left sodden with urine and faeces and there was also a mice infestation.

The 62-year-old was found to have rarely taken the dogs out of the property.

Kesson pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

As well as his disqualification from keeping animals, he was handed a 30-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

As part of the order, he was told to complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days before being placed under an electronically-monitored curfew at his home for six months.

In mitigation, the court was told Kesson suffers from mental health problems and memory issues.

He will not be able to appeal his ban for at least 10 years.

Sole survivor Alice has since recovered from the ordeal and been rehomed by the RSPCA, the organisation said in a statement released today.

Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA inspector Clive Hopwood said: “The degree of emaciation of these dogs would have been apparent to any owner and it was lucky we visited the defendant’s home when we did as the other dogs may have died at his home.”