The Sentencing Advisory Council's findings released on Tuesday show 2960 animal cruelty charges resulted in 1115 cases in the decade to December 31, 2017.

Sixty per cent of the offenders had been fined an average of $1355 while four per cent of charges resulted in jail, the Victorian-first study into sentencing practices reveals.

Three quarters of offenders were male, ahead of women and corporate abusers.

Offenders ranged in age from 11 to 83, but the average age was 38.

Aggravated cruelty made up a quarter of the offences, followed by failure to to treat sick animals and failure to provide food, water or shelter.

Advisory council chairman Arie Freiberg said most offending related to failure to provide basic care.

"Most animal cruelty in Victoria is not the kind of sensational cruelty that generates much news, but rather involves people who have, for whatever reason, not provided adequate food, drink or veterinary treatment for their animals," he said.

"We hope this report will provide policy makers, courts, prosecuting agencies, animal welfare organisations and the wider community with new and useful information to help inform public debate about when and how it is appropriate for the criminal justice system to respond to animal cruelty."

Four per cent of animal cruelty abusers were sentenced to 10 or more charges of animal cruelty in a single case, and tended to be farmers with livestock or puppy farms.

The Victorian government has outlawed sales of newborn puppies and kittens in pet shops under laws in place since July.

Australian Associated Press