The 17-year-old pet even had an ironing board propped on top of him because he had slumped in the place it usually went.

Emaciated Barney had been a family pet for all his life but his final, tragic days saw him unloved and uncared for as he wilted away, suffering appalling neglect.

Callous owners left their pet dog covered in its own urine and feces

RSPCA Inspector Vicki McDonald described the pitiful scene when she found poor Barney as the “saddest case” she has ever faced.

A heartbreaking photograph of Barney shows how he was neglected in his final hours before he was put out of his misery by a vet.

Barney’s owners have now been banned from keeping animals for life for the way they left the dog to suffer.

They have also been ordered to do community work.

Lyndsey Kearney, 44, and her 22-year-old son Samuel were castigated by Inspector McDonald after they were sentenced for causing Barney unnecessary suffering.

The poor pet’s final days were spent slumped behind a collapsed ironing board

The Inspector said: “Barney had been a part of this family since he was a puppy and he spent at least the last two days of his life collapsed and suffering, without any form of comfort, lying in his own urine and faeces under that kitchen table.”

Barney was barely conscious when Inspector McDonald arrived at the Kearney’s home in Blackleach Drive, Worsley.

He was covered in urine, which had scalded his skin, as well feaces, and the ironing board was propped on him.

RSPCA inspector McDonald said: “This was the saddest case, I think, I’ve ever dealt with.

“Barney was a pitiful sight. He was collapsed on a hard wooden floor under the kitchen table, caked in his own faeces and wet with urine, which had scalded the skin on his face and leg.

17-year-old Barney was appallingly neglected, uncared for and unloved in his final days

“He was emaciated. When we weighed him he was just 8.5kg instead of the 17-20kg he should have been for a healthy dog.

“His owners were just going about their daily business. Evidently he was in the way of where the ironing board went, and it had simply been propped on him.

“He was in such a suffering state that it would have been cruel to move him. The vet came to the house and he was put to sleep on humane grounds.

“Owners have a responsibility to meet the needs of the animals in their care, whatever the age of those animals.”

The heartbreaking photographs show the scale of how mistreated he was cast aside by his owners

The mother admitted two offences under the Animal Welfare Act relating to failing to address Barney’s poor condition and weight loss and also failing to provide proper veterinary care for his collapsed state and urine scalds.

Besides being banned for life from having animals, she was sentenced to 12 weeks’ in prison suspended for 18 months as well having to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Samuel Kearney was convicted of the same offences by Manchester Magistrates and was ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work as well as being banned for life from having animals.