Thousands of calls about deliberate animal cruelty to RSPCA

The RSPCA received more than 4,500 calls about deliberate animal cruelty over the summer.

There were 4,554 incidents of intentional harm inflicted on animals between June 1 and October 1, according to new figures from the RSPCA.

As part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, the RSPCA has revealed the scale of calls about intentional cruelty during the past four months since the campaign was launched.

The charity received 300 calls about attempted killings, 3,234 calls about animals being beaten, 464 reports of improper killings, 230 reports of mutilations, and 326 reports of animals being harmed in suspicious circumstances.

The calls related to 9,122 individual animals being intentionally harmed.

The charity’s animal rescuers dedicate their lives to helping animals who have been intentionally harmed and have dealt with some particularly distressing incidents this summer.

For example, a puppy lost his life after suffering fatal injuries after being seen being thrown and beaten by a group of people in a car park in Walsall on July 29 at Oak Park Active Living Centre in Walsall. Witnesses reported seeing the yelping puppy being thrown in the air and hit with a stick a number of times while surrounded by a group of around 15 people. A member of the public removed the dog’s body and contacted the RSPCA. Veterinary examination of the young black and tan terrier’s body showed the dog had suffered a fractured skull and broken jaw before his death.

Another heartbreaking case involved a dog who was found dumped in a park and crawling with maggots was so badly neglected she was barely recognisable – with the person who found her initially thinking she was a pile of rags. She was found in Liverpool on July 27 after a passerby noticed some movement and when they went closer to investigate they realised it was a terribly matted dog which was covered in maggots. The dog, thought to be a shih tzu, was rushed to a vet but sadly could not survive the prolonged neglect she had suffered.

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