A GEORGE Town man who starved his own dog to death will spend the next month in jail.
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He is also banned from owning a domestic animal for the next 10 years.
Sending a strong message that animal cruelty-related offences will be treated seriously by the courts, Magistrate Robert Pearce told 22-year-old Kenneth William Blake his neglect
had been both conscious and ongoing.
RSPCA inspectors discovered terrier-cross Bart's tethered body curled up in a basket in Blake's backyard last year.
Blake was unaware he had died.
An autopsy revealed the extremely emaciated animal had been starved for at least the last four months of its life.
``The dog was entirely unable to fend for itself,'' Mr Peace told Blake in handing down his sentence in the Launceston Magistrates Court today.
Describing his actions as cruel and uncaring, Mr Pearce said Blake had failed in his duty of care to the animal, which ``must have suffered terribly''.
Mr Pearce said the penalties for animal-related offences had been significantly increased because the Government found the community would no longer tolerate such behaviour.
