A B.C provincial court judge urged a woman who must repay the SPCA nearly $1,000 to stay busy at her crafts to repay her debt.

Lynda Watt was in court Monday in an effort to avoid paying restitution. She was ordered to pay the animal care agency when found guilty of leaving an animal is distress after a fire in her home in September 2008.

Watt told the court she is in dire financial straights and is barely making ends meet. She supplements her meager income in part by making dishcloths, which she sells for $2, the woman told the judge.

Watt had numerous pets, including several cats and a dog. Some of the cats died in the fire. The dog turned up at the Kamloops pound, where an SPCA constable found it.

The officer noted the adult Springer spaniel suffered serious signs of neglect, including overgrown nails, discharge from its ears and eyes and skin problems.

When the constable spoke with Watt, she told him she did not have money to take her dog to the vet. She said it had been more than three years since the dog had been to a veterinarian.

The dog was later treated and the bill for care was almost $1,000.

The Crown opposed Watt's request to be free of the restitution, noting the judge who sentenced Watt a year ago was also aware of her financial predicament, yet chose to impose the restitution order anyway.

Prosecutor Alex Janse said her financial situation is part of the reason the judge imposed two years of probation, instead of a monetary penalty.

Judge Stephen Harrison noted the woman has yet to pay any of the outstanding amount, despite already having a year.

"I tried, but then things come up," she said.

Harrison appeared sympathetic to her plight, but noted the woman must at least make an effort to pay some of the debt. He extended the deadline for her to pay the restitution until January 2012.

"You talked about making dishcloths for $2 each," he said. "Make some of those dishcloths and apply the proceeds to the debt.

"If you pay some money, that would be a good thing. You really must make your best efforts to pay that amount or as much of it as you can."

Harrison warned the woman she could face a breach of probation charge if she does not make a serious attempt at repaying the debt.

"That is the risk you face," he said.

During her trial in November 2009, the court was told the woman suffers from an obsessive-compulsive disorder and that her house was in "a bit of disarray."