A Barton Hill man was jailed for 18 weeks after he left two dogs to starve on the balcony of his high-rise flat in Strawbridge Road.
Zach Cook, 25, was also banned for keeping animals for life after he left Ruby and Blacky without food.
The dog in this photo is still alive and is
wagging her tail for her rescuers.
The RSPCA is campaigning for harsher punishments for those convicted of animal abuse, a decade after the introduction the Animal Welfare Act.
A statement from the RSPCA said: “It’s been 10 years since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act – a crucial piece of legislation of animal welfare which allows us to act before an animal suffers. But 10 years later animals are still suffering.
“The maximum custodial sentence for even the most serious cases of abuse is a lifetime ban and just six months custody and/or an unlimited fine. We don’t believe this is enough.
“We’re calling for an offenders’ register of those banned from keeping animals to be made available to those responsible for finding animals loving new homes.
“We want the penalties for those convicted of animal cruelty to be tougher. We want judges to be able to hand out tougher sentences for those convicted of the most horrific cases of animal cruelty.”
The RSPCA says it investigates 400 cruelty complaints and rescues 320 animals every day.
In 2016, the charity successfully convicted 1,401 animal abusers.
Cook was jailed for 18 weeks after police found the emaciated dogs confined to a squalid enclosed balcony area which was covered in faeces and urine.
The RSPCA said that both dogs had to be put down by a vet.
Neighbours had reported a stench coming from the flat before officers broke in and discovered the dogs in horrific conditions.
RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield, who investigated, said: “Ruby and Blacky suffered horrendous cruelty and neglect because Zach Cook decided to just shut them on the balcony and just forget about them
“His way of dealing with no longer wanting to care for his dogs was to pretend they didn’t exist while he continued to get on with his life in the flat attached to the balcony.
“When they were discovered Blacky was stood cowering next to Ruby and was so thin all his bones were showing.
“Ruby was in an absolutely terrible state. She had completely collapsed and was lying in the squalor, unable to get to her feet and had to be carried to my van in a basket.
“It broke my heart to see her use the last bit of energy she had to wag her tail as I carried her out. She was so starved, exhausted and close to death but still managed to try to show love.
“There are simply no excuses for treating animals in such a cruel and disgusting way. We plead with anyone who no longer wants their pets or can no longer care for them to ask for help before it ever gets like this.”
Cook, admitted two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to the animals and two counts of failing to meet the needs of the dogs.
(Bristol Post - August 13, 2017)
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