A dog was dragged 13 miles behind a car as its oblivious owner did not realise his pet was attached to the trailer he was transporting.
The mangled body was discovered by a member of public the next morning.
They then alerted the RSPCA and James Price was traced as the dog's owner.
The 36-year-old had set off for work in the early hours of the morning on July 17 without knowing Pepper's lead had become tangled with then trailer.
Her kennel was situated at the back of the driveway, according to the Liverpool Echo .
A court heard Price "never intended" to harm the dog after inspectors initially described the incident as a "barbaric act of cruelty."
He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal at Sefton Magistrates' Court in Liverpool , on the basis he "ought to have known the animal was not entangled in a vehicle."
Price, who drives a low-loader for a living, had set off for work from his home in St Helens, Merseyside, at around 5am and did not realise the dog's lead had become entangled in the trailer.
CCTV footage obtained by the RSPCA showed the lead snapping on Brasenose Road, but still Price did not realise what had happened and carried on his journey.
Inspectors eventually tracked him down via the microchip in the dog's body.
Daniel Kenyon, representing Price, told the court the loss of a family pet had been "punishment enough."
Price was banned from keeping animals for 12 months and ordered to pay £1,238 in fines and costs.
Presiding magistrate Frank Dainty, passing sentence, said: "I do not believe you intended to harm the animal, but in future you need to check every corner of your vehicle before you set off."
