One year in jail for leaving dog to starve.

[Catherine]

I noticed that the ban against owning animals was very short. There never give out a life time ban. Even extreme animal abusers are not banned for life.

I think you are right that a year in jail won't change someone. It might make someone else stop and think before they do something similar. 
Oddly in prison murderers and rapists will look down on someone who left his dog to starve. It is not going to be an easy year for him. Maybe at some point he will think of his poor dog locked in with no hope of escape, suffering and dying. 

I hope the poor dog didn't lose hope before he died. He must have believed his person would return in time to save him. Even though the guy didn't deserve such loyalty I hope the dog had that to sustain him until the end.