RSPCA inspectors raided a stud farm and discovered emaciated and sick dogs, a court heard.

The animals were suffering from severe diarrhoea and in a dull, depressed and lethargic state when they were seized.

One of the dogs was so weak it had to be lifted into the RSPCA's van.

The animals were being looked after by farmer Barbara Joyce, who says she rescued them from Ireland and was caring for them before finding them new homes.

Mrs Joyce, of Manor Farm Cottages, South Heighton, Newhaven, yesterday told Lewes Magistrates Court the dogs were even thinner before she took over their care.

She said they were about to put on weight when they were taken away.

The RSPCA says Joyce showed a severe lack of care in failing to get veterinary treatment.

Joyce, 51, who runs Quimper Stud farm in Rodmell near Lewes, is accused of causing unnecessary suffering to four dogs in April and May last year.

Her son Oliver Joyce, 27, of Cinque Foil, Peacehaven, faces the same charges and is also accused of having custody of an animal while disqualified for five years.

He was banned from owning animals in April 2002 after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to sheep.

Joyce told the court she had been undertaking animal rescue work for more than four years and had about 200 animals in her care when the dogs were taken away.

On several occasions she said she had received unwanted dogs from Ireland.

Paul Buck, prosecuting, said she was not "rehoming" the dogs but selling them for profit.

Showing the court a series of classified adverts for dogs, puppies and kittens, he said: "This is all evidence of a thriving business as far as you are concerned, isn't it? You regard this as a thriving aspect of your activities at Quimper Stud."

Mrs Joyce said she was not running a commercial enterprise.

She said: "I don't think rescuing dogs from Ireland could be counted as commercial."

Cross-examining Joyce on the fifth day of her trial, Mr Buck said her "ignorance" and "arrogance" in assuming she knew better than any vet had led the dogs to suffer.

He said she had underfed at least one of the dogs.

The dog had put on 1kg in the 24 hours after he was removed, he said.

Mr Buck added: "Any reasonably caring, reasonably competent person would have seen the signs and sought treatment."

Joyce said: "I'm more than reasonably caring and obsessively look after my dogs. In a few weeks they would have been fine."

Joyce said she had not taken the dogs to the vet because they were not ill, were not showing any symptoms and were showing signs of improvement.

Earlier in the trial a vet gave evidence saying there was nothing clinically wrong with the dogs - two Labrador crosses and two collie crosses - except they had been suffering from food toxicosis, meaning they had been fed either rotten or infected food.

Joyce said she had been careful with their diet and the diarrhoea must have begun after the dogs were taken away.

Oliver Joyce, who once made the semi finals of Crufts' Young Handler of the Year competition, told the court he had not been to the stud farm for more than four months and had not worked with animals there since his ban was imposed.

The hearing was adjourned to February 13.