A $120 fine is not justice for a starved dog thrown over a 6-foot gate

How much does it cost to torture a dog in Australia? Apparently, just a few hundred dollars.

In Bristol, a tiny terrier named Boomer endured a daily nightmare. He was deliberately starved by his owners until he weighed a shocking 2kg (4.4lb). But the horror didn't stop at malnutrition. A neighbour filmed James Marchant, Boomer's owner, grabbing the frail, defenceless dog by the neck and violently hurling him over a 6-foot-high garden gate onto hard paving.

The vet who reviewed the footage confirmed that Boomer suffered immediate pain, terror, and anxiety from the impact.

Yet, when this case went to the Bristol Magistrates Court, the sentence handed down was an absolute insult to animal welfare. Marchant walked away with a 10-year ban on keeping animals and a $400 cost order. His partner, Clair Malik, who starved the dog, was handed a mere 5-year ban and a laughable $120 fine. No prison time. No lifetime ban.

This sends a disastrous message. Slapping a small fine on people who starve and physically assault animals proves that the current legal system treats animal cruelty as a minor inconvenience rather than a violent crime.

We are calling for an immediate review of sentencing guidelines. We demand that the justice system imposes mandatory lifetime bans on owning animals and actual prison sentences for deliberate starvation and physical abuse.

Please sign this petition to show that a $120 fine is not an acceptable price for torturing an animal.