A man who left three dogs to starve without food or water is facing up to five years in jail after being seized by police.

The owner – not named in local media in Ipora, Brazil – admitted abandoning the dogs after police raided the premises and rescued the desperately hungry trio on April 11.

Police say the dogs were so undernourished their ribs were sticking through their skin and they were so weak they had trouble walking.

The Civil Police of Goias said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The police team became aware of cruelty against dogs and went to a residence in which 03 dogs were found in total hunger and thirst, with apparent ribs and difficulty in locomotion, due to severe starvation.”

According to case chief Bruno de Paula, an anonymous tip-off with photos of the dogs led them to the address.

As soon as officers arrived, they found the three dogs living in terrible conditions.

They were tied up without food or water land surrounded by scrap from old cars.

De Paula added: “As we saw the situation of the animals in the photos of the complaint, we already arrived at the place bringing food and water.

“They ate two kilogrammes of food at an incredible speed.”

He also said that the suspect tried to deny abandoning the animals: “At first he claimed to have fed the animals that day.

“Then we showed him a photo and he admitted that the dogs had been without food for days.”

The suspect is charged with mistreatment of animals, and if convicted, he can receive a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to five years.

The three dogs have been taken to a shelter where they have been treated by a veterinarian.

One of the dogs has been adopted by the owner of the shelter, while the others are up for adoption.