700 dog cruelty cases reported

THE RSPCA received 700 reports of dog cruelty in Leicestershire and Rutland last year.

The charity said its investigators encountered cases of dogs being beaten, stabbed, burned, drowned, poisoned or left to die from starvation.

It released the figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, which aims to educate the public about the scale of abuse and to encourage people to report mistreatment.

The RSPCA said calls to its cruelty line typically increase from an average of 90,000 a month nationwide to 134,000 a month in July and August.

Dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “Every year, we see many dogs coming into our care bearing the physical and mental scars that were inflicted at the hands of the very people who were meant to keep them safe and love them unconditionally.

“We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers and dogs are ‘man’s best friend’ as the saying goes.

“But in reality we receive many reports every day about dogs which have suffered the most unimaginable cruelty – and a 16 per cent increase of dogs being cruelly treated in a year is really concerning.

“With the public’s help in reporting cruelty, they have been able to save many dogs from ongoing abuse.

“Sadly, though, in some cases others have died at the hands of their tormentors and it is then our job to try to bring some justice for the victim.

“During the summer we see a rise in cruelty and this year, as we have seen such a massive increase in dog ownership since lockdown, we are bracing ourselves for even more reports. We believe there are a number of factors which mean summer is our busiest time.

“Perhaps there is boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified.

“This year the cost of living crisis has added a further dimension and we believe we could see people really struggling to care for their pets, which may lead them to lash out or could see more animals than ever being abandoned or given up.

“All these factors mean that we need the public’s support more than ever to help Cancel Out Cruelty.

“As a charity, we are bracing to tackle a summer of suffering but we cannot do this without your help and we rely on public support to carry on our rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming work.”

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