A 53-year-old man from the Ballarat area was convicted of two counts of animal cruelty relating to his dog under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1986) at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 01 June 2026.
RSPCA Victoria Inspectors attended a property in the Ballarat region in early 2025 after receiving an animal cruelty report from a member of the public and found a severely emaciated dog confined to a squalid pen with insufficient food or clean water available.
The dog was immediately seized and brought to RSPCA Victoria’s Burwood East facility for treatment.
The treating veterinarian found the dog was malnourished and weighed only 14 kilograms.
“[The dog was] in extremely poor condition and suffering,” the veterinarian said.
“I estimate she had been losing weight for at least 4 weeks before she presented to the RSPCA.”
“It would have been extremely obvious to a layperson that [the dog’s] body condition was abnormal and that she required urgent veterinary attention.
“Having no access to food is mentally and physically distressing for an animal and causes suffering.
“If [the dog] had not been taken into custody by the RSPCA, she would have starved to death on her own.”
His Honour Magistrate Andrew Capell said the animal “suffered significantly” as a result of the cruelty.
“There’s no doubt the animal suffered significantly because of your decision-making, and you buried your head in the sand,” His Honour said.
“With an animal comes responsibility, with an animal comes costs, with an animal comes vet fees and the reality that they tend to live less time than we do.
“That’s the reality when you have a dog; you received expert advice and should have accepted it.”
The man was convicted on both counts of animal cruelty, fined $1,500.00 and banned from being the owner or person in charge of any animals for seven years.
RSPCA Victoria Chief Inspector Michelle Green said the animal’s suffering was cruel and could have been easily avoided.
“This dog was totally reliant on her owner for basic food, water, shelter and veterinary care and he failed to provide these essentials,” Chief Inspector Green said.
“You must provide this basic level of care for your pet; otherwise, they can quickly fall unwell and may not be able to recover.
“Animal neglect is a serious and painful form of animal cruelty, and we urge everyone to report cases like this so RSPCA Inspectors can open an investigation and intervene before it’s too late.”
The relevant offences are covered under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
Anyone found guilty of animal cruelty offences can face fines of up to $50,877.50 or 12 months’ imprisonment.
Anyone with concerns about the welfare of animals is urged to make a report to RSPCA Victoria at rspcavic.org/who-to-call or by calling 03 9224 2222.
It’s estimated it will cost RSPCA Victoria more than $12.8 million to operate the Inspectorate this financial year.
