A mother and children who locked eight puppies in their family kitchen and let them starve to death have avoided jail.Sam Hessin, 39, and her two children, Damon, 22, and Hazil, 18, were handed suspended sentences after RSPCA officers uncovered ‘one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they had ever seen’.The brother and sister were banned from keeping animals for life after the court heard how the puppies, which were around six-months old, tried to eat each other to survive.Their mother was handed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, at a court appearance last month. The trio admitted causing unnecessary suffering to eight dogs.Shocking pictures of the dogs’ remains, including two puppy skulls, were released by the RSPCA following a raid on the family’s rented home in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.Prosecutor Kevin McCole said: ‘The smell was almost unbearable, with dog faeces several inches thick. It was likely the place had not been cleaned for months or even years.‘It was clear the puppies had suffered and would have been obvious they were unwell and needed help.’He added: ‘The life of some might have been extended by eating the others.’Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Deborah Scotcher added: ‘The sentence was very appropriate, it was a harrowing case, the worst one I’ve seen, I’ll never forget it.’Neighbours blasted the sentence as ‘too soft’ and revealed they often heard the sound of dogs howling in agony during the night.One resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘That family should be in jail now, not allowed to swan about like nothing happened.’(metro.co.uk)ANN.Az