Less than 10 per cent of animal cruelty cases end in jail

Less than 10 per cent of people convicted of sickening animal welfare offences in Queensland over the past 13 years have been jailed, according to a new report.

LESS than 10 per cent of people convicted of sickening animal welfare offences in Queensland over the past 13 years have been jailed, according to a new report.

Too few animal cruelty cases end in jail

The sentencing data, collected by the Queensland ­Sentencing Advisory Council between 2005 and 2018, found more than 60 per cent of those charged with offences involving animals were male, with an average age of about 36 with the youngest being just 11.

Of the 1015 cases that came before Queensland courts in the period, 853 involved serious animal cruelty, which ­carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail. But just 9.2 per cent of offenders – 76 people – received a jail sentence.

The Sentencing Spotlight report looked at a range of charges, including serious animal cruelty, docking dogs’ tails or cropping ears, using baits and also dog fighting.

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QSAC chair John Robertson said the prevalence of offices against animals increased over the period, with the number of cases coming to court more than doubling since 2014.

The RSPCA prosecuted a Gladstone couple operating a dog breeding business who had 110 dogs at the property.

“A significant increase in sentenced offenders from 2014 may indicate increased ­community awareness of this type of offending, which could result from advocacy from ­animal welfare organisations like the RSPCA,” Mr Robertson said.

The longest imprisonment was 30 months’ jail and the highest suspended sentence was three years’ jail.

The average jail sentence was five months.

Most offenders were given fines averaging $1460, but the highest fine was $55,000 for a corporation and $25,000 for an individual, the report said.

There were 19 people permanently banned from ever owning animals. Of the 241 other cases where people were given prohibition orders from owning animals, the average length of the order was 3.2 years, the report said.

The report also shows that 93.3 per cent of offenders pleaded guilty.

About 50 per cent of animal offences that made it before the court related to breaching the duty of care to an animal, according to the report.

The report is out today.