Aaron Dickinson (38), of The Old Church, Marlborough Road, was convicted of failing to meet the needs of his Doberman, failing to provide an acceptable diet and failing to protect the animal from pain or suffering during an earlier hearing at Mansfield magistrates.

Dickinson, who was also ordered to pay £400 costs and given a 12-month supervision order, also admitted a Bail Act offence after he failed to appear for the trial.

RSPCA prosecutor Tim Shock told magistrates: "RSPCA inspectors visited the property on a daily basis for a week. There was a dog in a small area and there was no food or water.

"The police broke into the property and seized the dog. The dog was examined by a vet and was found to be in a unhygienic state. The needs of the dog had not been met."

But Mark Little, in mitigation, told the court Dickinson had effectively cared for the dog for more than a decade without a problem.

"The dog has lived with Mr Dickinson for between 12 and 13 years and there has never been a problem," he said.

"He also has a very strong bond between him and the dog.

"He was decorating and working on the house at the time which explains the state of the property. He had placed the dog in a locked up area to prevent it getting paint everywhere.

"He would not deliberately cause his dog suffering and he is missing his pet."

Speaking outside the court, RSPCA inspector Vicky Taylor told Chad the sentence sent out a strong warning to pet owners.

She said: "We are happy with the sentence. We can now re-home the dog so he can get the care that he needs. It is very important people realise that having a pet requires a lot of responsibility. They need care because they cannot just look after themselves."