A 32-year-old father of three from Blyth, Northumberland has been jailed after admitting 21 charges of animal cruelty against eight dogs, five of which were puppies left for dead. Michael Deas's case highlights the severity of animal neglect prosecutions in the UK, with three of the dogs suffering such extensive harm that they had to be put down.

Deas was sentenced to eight months in prison after the court heard he starved a litter of Cane Corso puppies, leaving them severely malnourished and denying them adequate exercise. He was also convicted over cruelty towards three other dogs, including an XL Bully, in a case a judge described as involving neglect so severe it proved fatal for several animals.