Many of us keep pets for companionship, and for the unconditional love our four-legged friends show us no matter how much work, or relationships, or national politics get us down.

But that unconditional love comes attached to an even stronger bond between pet and owner: trust.

Our fluffy amigos trust us to feed them, to keep them warm, to keep them safe, and to keep them healthy. To cause them pain, or to allow them to be hurt or left in agony, is a betrayal of the love they show us.

Which is why the case of Millom man Stephen Carr, who allowed two of his three dogs, Toby and Boots, to be left in pain after they received facial injuries, is so galling. There was no evidence that their wounds had been treated, instead they had been left to fester, causing unimaginable pain to the two hounds.

Thankfully, Cumbria Police and the RSPCA intervened, meaning Toby and Boots, as well as Blaze, never have to suffer because of Carr again. Carr has also been banned from keeping dogs for 10 years, though perhaps a lifetime ban would be more fitting.

For responsible pet owners, Carr's neglect is unfathomable, and it's hard to grasp why he allowed it to happen.

We may have jobs, and families, and a whole world to explore - but to our pets we are their world, and it's a world we should care for and cherish.