A dog owner has been sent to prison for 18 weeks after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and breach of a 10-year disqualification order.

Kenneth Shaw, 49, of Acacia Road, Basildon, appeared before Basildon Magistrates’ Court on February 4.

He had pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a dog called Lady by failing to ensure she received appropriate veterinary care for a number of conditions.

By owning Lady, Shaw was also in breach of a disqualification order in respect of all animals for a period of 10 years imposed by Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on January 24, 2011.

Shaw admitted one count of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog and two breaches of a banning order.

Shaw received the banning order in 2011 after his horse, a colt named Lucan, was found malnourished and neglected in a field in Great Yarmouth.

Magistrates imposed a sentence of six weeks imprisonment for each offence to run consecutively.

The magistrates also imposed a disqualification order for all animals, which cannot be appealed for a 10-year minimum.

He was also ordered to pay £150 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the case RSPCA inspector Prisca Giddens said: “The sentence imposed by magistrates highlights the seriousness of the offence.

"Courts impose disqualification orders on people convicted on animal welfare offences to protect further animals from suffering.

“It is important to reiterate to the public that we rely on them to tell us if someone has breached a ban.

"We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and we take breaches of bans very seriously - as do the courts.”

Lady was signed over to the care of the RSPCA and has since been rehomed.