The RSPCA recently warned Animal cruelty cases are increasing on a massive scale.
They want to highlight the recent and rapid rise in incidents of animal cruelty, particularly against cats. The RSPCA released images of a cat that had to undergo multiple surgeries after having boiling water poured on its head. (Photo at the bottom.) This cat named Benny had extensive scald wounds across his entire body. He survived after undergoing 6 operations.
The 2022 figures show an increase of around 25% of intentional harm incidents against cats. That means there are 5 cats a day being intentionally harmed in the UK.
There wasn’t just an increase in violence against cats, it increased dramitcally in general. Some of the other figures released show:
- A 22% increase in reports of beatings. It was 7,857 in 2021 rising to a massive 9,658 in 2022.
- The summer months see a massive increase. In 2022 this peaked in August at 1,081 in a single month. A scary figure.
- Animals killed in suspicious circumstances increased in 2022. This figure was 775 in 2021 rising to 891 in 2022.
It’s of course hard to tell why there is an increase. I personally believe it’s a combination of the following:
- An increase in pet ownership during the pandemic
- The current cost of living crisis
- A lack of regulation around requirements before getting a pet (such as mandatory training)
None of these things excuse animal cruelty. If you hurt an animal for fun, because you are stressed, or because ‘You’re the boss’ you are a criminal and deserve to be in prison.
The other issue this creates is more animals in the care of charities like the RSPCA, Dog’s Trust and local Animal charities. We’re lucky to count many animal rescues among our customer base and we know they are bursting with unwanted pets and their care is getting more and more expensive.
We encourage anyone who can help to donate to an animal charity of their choice.
To read more about the RSPCA report click HERE and to find out more about their campaign to Cancel Out Cruelty click HERE.
To report cruelty or neglect click HERE.
