‘Significant’ increase in dog cruelty since start of pandemic, RSPCA figures show

The RSPCA has revealed a significant increase in dog cruelty since the start of the Covid pandemic, with Greater Manchester having some of the highest cases in the country.

New figures released today as part of the animal welfare charity’s Cancel Out Cruelty campaign show that, despite the UK being a famously dog-loving nation, 92,244 dogs were reported to the RSPCA last year as victims of cruelty.

That’s 253 dogs a day and more than ten calls an hour. These statistics also included 10,228 dogs reported as being beaten by their owners.

This is a significant 16% increase since 2020 – when the pandemic took hold – with 79,513 reports of dogs being cruelly treated being made to the charity that year.

RSPCA

Factoring in the summer holidays and the ongoing cost of living crisis, the RSPCA is concerned that more dogs will fall victim to abuse and abandonment.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr. Samantha Gaines said: “A 16% increase of dogs being cruelly treated in a year is really concerning.

“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 believe there are a number of factors that mean summer is our busiest time. Perhaps there’s boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified.

RSPCA

“This year the cost of living crisis has added a further dimension and we could see people really struggling to care for their pets which may lead them to lash out. We could also 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’re ready to tackle a summer of suffering but we can’t do this without your help. We rely on public support to carry on our rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming work.”

The RSPCA also received over 1 million calls to its Cruelty Line for all animals last year, which included 1,094 reports of animals being killed, 632 mutilations and 7,857 beatings.

RSPCA

Among these, there were 38,087 abandonments reported to the hotline, which equates to more than 100 animals callously abandoned every day.

Figures produced by the charity last month also showed that Greater Manchester has among the highest cases of animal abuse in the country, with there being 553 reports of intentional harm to animals made in the region last year – that’s the second highest rate in the country behind London.

To help prevent further suffering, the RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, which aims to raise funds to help save animals in need of help.

Read more about the new campaign here.