Laura Shaw, 23, abandoned her pet Lulu for six weeks, and has now been banned from keeping animals for the next 10 years.
Horrific images shown in court revealed how the animal was found covered in swarms of flies, surrounded by the empty food bowls it tried to eat.
The mother of two was prosecuted by the RSPCA, but escaped jail after a hearing at Grimsby Magistrates' Court.
The court heard how the dog was found dead last August in a downstairs toilet at Shaw's former home in Grimsby, surrounded by faeces and urine.
Prosecutor Nigel Burn said there was an 'overpowering foul stench' and the house was swarming with large flies.
Empty plates and a bowl were found and it looked as though they had been bitten by the black cross-bred dog in a desperate attempt to satisfy its hunger.
Shaw, now of no fixed address, admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog by failing to provide veterinary care and leaving it unattended without adequate food and water.
She claimed that she was scared to seek help after the dog became ill, but when she was asked about the animal's death she admitted: 'It must have been traumatic and it must have been lonely and scared.'
Her defense attorney, Lauren Fisher, used the excuse that Shaw's former home had been burgled after her windows were smashed and that a large amount of her property had been stolen, causing her 'extreme unhappiness'. Shaw moved out, abandoning her poor dog, who was aged about 18 months to two years.
Probation officer Graham Marshall said Shaw had been a mental health support worker but lost her job and later 'drank to oblivion every day whenever she could'. The court heard that the defendant also had more than £10,000 of debts.
Judge Sam Goozee told Shaw: 'You have committed a cruel and despicable offence. The pictures I have seen show the horror and pain that Lulu must have gone through in what was a very slow death.
'The conditions in which she was found are disgusting and she clearly had been dead for a while.
'Looking after an animal brings responsibility and you simply ignored those responsibilities.
'Can you imagine what it would be like if a child went through what Lulu did? As an adult, you would never place a child in that position and you should not place an animal in that position.'
Shaw was handed 200 hours of unpaid work, banned from keeping animals for ten years and ordered to pay £150 costs.
Speaking after the verdict, an RSPCA spokesman said: 'This was a shocking incident. The poor animal would have suffered terribly, and it is terrible to leave a living creature to die like this.
'We hope this sends a clear to message to people that neglect or abuse of animals is not acceptable.'
(DailyMail - Jan 29, 2013)
