A pub chef from the West has become the first person in Britain to be convicted of getting a dog drunk.

Callous Andrew Wilson, 31, forced bulldog Bronx to drink cans of lager and topped up his water bowl with vodka.

He then laughed as the confused American bulldog struggled to stay on his feet and battered him with a broken chair leg.

Horrified neighbours heard the animal whimpering in agony as Wilson reigned down vicious blows on the pooch's head and back.

Police officers raided the rundown semi-detached house in Southmead, Bristol, and found five-year-old Bronx bleeding, shaky and unsteady on his feet.

Shocking pictures taken at the time show the devastating effects of alcohol on the dog – whose eyes were bloodshot and mouth was foaming.

Disturbingly, Bronx still had 50mg of alcohol in his blood 11 hours after he was rescued by the RSPCA.

Adorable creature

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ''It's horrifying to imagine that kind of wickedness happening on your doorstep.

''I'd seen the dog around a couple of times before it happened and he was such an adorable, friendly creature.

''It's just appalling that anybody can be so cruel to a poor defenceless animal that has never done any harm to anybody.

''People like him should be banned from even going near animals for the rest of their lives.''

The jobless chef, who was dog-sitting at the time, is the first person to be convicted of the offence introduced under the new 2006 Animal Welfare Act.

Bachelor Wilson admitted getting Bronx drunk and beating him when he appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Monday

He was sentenced to 150 hours of community service and banned from keeping any ''warm-blooded mammal for a year''.

Bronx, whose owners are expected to sign over the dog in the coming days, has been taken into care at an RSPCA centre in St Phillips, Bristol.

He has received care for injuries from the beating and is now ''back to his old self''.

RSPCA vet Mandy Stone said: ''When he first came in he immediately needed round-the-clock care and he was in a really bad way.

''The initial reason was he had been beaten very badly and he had a cut to his head where he had been hit with a broken piece of chair.

''He's a big solid dog but he was staggering and he was very dopey.

"It was a really horrible sight to see.

''He was even still drunk the morning after which means he had been given a lot of alcohol.

''He's a very big and boisterous dog and he's bouncing around in the field, playing with people again.''

Bronx is expected to make a full recovery and could be re-homed in the coming weeks.