An Auckland man has been ordered to complete community service after his pet dog was found almost starved to death after being fed instant noodles.

Daryl Forse was found guilty of recklessly ill-treating an animal after his pet dog was found by an SPCA inspector at a Mangere property in October 2013.

The German Shepard crossbreed was found tied up without access to water and little food.

A vet found the dog had been under-fed and left in severe pain for months suffering from extreme malnourishment, open sores, dermatitis and a heavy burden of fleas.

Forse told the court he had been unable to feed the dog well for some time.

He was ordered to forfeit any animals he owned and banned from owning animals for 10 years.