Wayne Waithe, 59, swaddled his dog Missy in a dark green jacket before trapping her in the navy bag and dumping her in the water - but has avoided jail for the sick crime.
Missy's head was left exposed but she drowned after struggling to swim to safety.
WAYNE WAITHE THREW MISSY INTO THE WATER HERE
IN NORFOLK AND WATCHED HER DROWN
Paul Croker told Norwich magistrates that Missy was "alive and breathing when put in the river".
He added: "As it (the rucksack) was bound up, it was unable to swim to safety."
The court heard how Missy, who was around five to seven years old, was found to have number of tumours, including a large one on her belly.
After her body was found near at a bridge in Norfolk, police interviewed Waithe, who admitted he had a dog, but claimed it had died.
Mr Croker said Waithe then refused to be interviewed and became aggressive, asking officers to leave his property.
Waithe, of Norwich, Norfolk, admitted causing unnecessary suffering by drowning the dog on May 9 this year.
However, he claimed he thought Missy was dead when he put her into the water, but this was rejected by magistrates.
Chairman of the bench Jim Agnew told Waithe: "We think you deliberately drowned the dog because you did not want to pay for it to be put down."
NO JAIL TIME FOR THIS HORRIFIC CRIME
He imposed a six-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and also imposed a 10-year ban on him keeping animals.
Waithe, of Norwich, Norfolk, was also ordered to pay £200 towards costs and pay a £93 vets bill, as well as a £115 victim surcharge.
Mr Croker said the RSPCA considered the case as serious and asked that Waithe be banned from keeping pets in future.
"The RSPCA's view is that this individual should not be trusted with animals," he said.
(The Sun UK - Nov 9, 2017)
