West Yorkshire one of worst areas in England for reports of animal beatings - full rankings
Animal welfare chiefs have branded the summer a “cruelty crisis” as shocking new figures reveal more than 700 reports of animal beatings in West Yorkshire.
The RSPCA has warned that animal cruelty is on the rise with one report of abuse made every 15 minutes the call line is open.
West Yorkshire is third in a league table of shame with 719 reports of beating during the summer.
The charity is calling for action as part of its Summer Cruelty Campaign - a time when abuse peaks for pets.
New figures reveal there has been a huge 101 per cent rise in reports of beatings in West Yorkshire during the summer months from 2020 to 2024 (92 vs 185).
There have been 719 reports in total meaning the county has the third highest figures in England and Wales.
Among those animals was female Akita Snowy. She was hit over the head with a shovel before her owner then stamped on her head.
A neighbour witnessed the distressing act and contacted the RPSA who then carried out an investigation followed by a prosecution.
Year on year the number of beating reports has risen by 10 per cent and the charity is braced for this to continue to climb this summer.
Ian Briggs from the RSPCA said: “These are really distressing and stark figures.
“One report of an animal being beaten every half an hour is a horrible thought, but sadly this is the reality in summer when our cruelty line receives a beating report every 30 minutes.
“It isn’t clear why there has been such a dramatic increase in abuse against animals, but what is clear is that animals are suffering at the hands of people on a much bigger scale than many people realise.
“As the RSPCA braces to help tackle animal cruelty, we need your help now more than ever to continue to rescue animals in desperate need of care.”
Last week the Yorkshire Evening Post revealed shocking new figures showing cats are increasingly being targeted with air guns - with West Yorkshire a hot spot for weapon incidents.
Mr Briggs added: “We’re finding that CCTV footage, doorbell cameras and smartphones are providing a view into society that we never had before, meaning that animal beatings are more likely to be caught on camera in supermarket car parks, on streets, in lifts, and even behind closed doors in the home - giving us the evidence we need to be able to seek justice for animals.
“This could account for the rise that we are seeing as these awful abusers are more likely to be caught on camera, uploaded to social media or reported directly to us.”