A woman who ran a pet rescue centre where dogs were found dead in a freezer has been jailed and banned from looking after animals for life.

When Scottish SPCA investigators arrived at the Ayrshire Ark they found nine dogs tethered or caged in rooms, one lying dead and another six frozen.

The surviving dogs were malnourished and living in filthy conditions with no food or water.

Zara Brown, 29, of Ayrshire, was given a seven-month jail sentence at Ayr Sheriff Court on Tuesday for causing them unnecessary suffering.

Scottish SPCA inspector Leanne McPake said she was "horrified" by what she had seen.

"As an inspector who deals with animal cruelty we expect to see horrible things," she said.

"However this case was particularly harrowing and will stay with us for a long time. The conditions in which the dogs were forced to live were woefully inadequate.

"There was an overpowering stench as all the floors were covered in dog faeces and urine, and there was debris strewn in some of the rooms creating more hazardous and unacceptable conditions."

Ms McPake she was "delighted" Brown, from Ayrshire was jailed.

"We hope that this sentence will act as a deterrent to others," she added.

Brown was also given a four-month sentence for failing to ensure the welfare of animals under her care. Both sentences will run concurrently.

She ran the Ayrshire Ark out of a former primary school as a place where dogs could be taken if they were unwell or their owners could no longer look after them.