CAT cruelty cases are down in Warwickshire, according to new figures released by the RSPCA.
There were 142 cat cruelty reports logged in the county last year, compared to 185 in 2021.
But the RSPCA still needs donations more than ever before.
The figures have been released by the animal welfare charity as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, in a bid to raise much-needed funds to help its frontline rescue teams continue to save animals from cruelty and abuse.
And nationally the picture is more sobering. Last year, there were almost 18,000 cat cruelty complaints reported to the RSPCA. Of those reports 1,726 – five reports a day – were intentional harm incidents. This is a 25 per cent increase from 2021 when the number was 1,387.
Cruelty complaints are defined as abandonments or neglect, while intentional harm includes attempted killing, poisonings and beatings.
It comes at a busy time for the RSPCA, which sees cruelty peak in the summer with three reports made every single minute.
The cost-of-living crisis is also thought to be a contributing factor to an increase in deliberate harm to animals.
Sarah Chambers, chief inspector for Warwickshire, said: “Right now, animal cruelty is happening in England and Wales on a massive scale and rising. It is heartbreaking that we are seeing such sad figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.
“While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase, the cost of living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in has created an animal welfare crisis.
“Each year, these reports reach its terrible annual peak in the summer months – when an animal is beaten on average every hour of every day. The cost-of-living crisis also means the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and our vital services are stretched to the limit.
“Together, we believe we can and will cancel out cruelty to animals by replacing violence with kindness. We are urging people to donate to our Cancel Out Cruelty campaign,every donation will help animals.”
It is not known why reports of animal cruelty peak in the summer months although factors like animal abuse being more visible as people are outdoors more, could be one factor.
To support the RSPCA visit www.rspca.org.uk/cruelty
