RSPCA warns of 'summer of suffering' in Kent as county ranks among top 10 most cruel

The charity is warning of a rise in cases of animal cruelty. Credit: RSPCA

The RSPCA is warning of a 'summer of suffering' as figures show a spike in cases of animal cruelty during the summer months.

The RSPCA receives around 90,000 calls to its cruelty line every month and investigates 6,000 reports of deliberate animal cruelty, including animal fighting and hunting.

But in the summer calls rise to 134,000 a month - three every minute and reports of cruelty soar to 7,600 each month.

In Kent, there were 331 reports of intentional harm against animals made to the RSPCA last year. This places Kent in the top ten most cruel counties.

The RSPCA received 1,081,018 calls to its Cruelty Line in 2021 and these included reports of:

  • 1,094 killings or nearly three animals killed a day

  • 632 mutilations or 12 animals brutally mutilated every week

  • 7,857 beatings which equates to one animal beaten every hour

  • 38,087 abandonments which equates to more than 100 animals callously abandoned every day

Stanley was taken into the care of the RSPCA. Credit: RSCPA

Stanley was just five-months-old when CCTV footage caught a man throwing the young dog over a garden fence in Dartford, Kent and abandoning him there. He was suffering from a severely injured and infected leg, and vets were worried they would have to amputate it. He also had a cut to his face and puncture wounds all over his body.

When he first arrived at the RSPCA Finsbury Park Animal Hospital he could barely lift his head but thanks to the dedication and care of the vets, they managed to save his leg and get him back on the road to recovery.

He was then transferred to RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in Maidstone where he was later rehomed.

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The charity has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, to raise funds to help its rescue teams out on the frontline continue to save animals from cruelty and abuse and to raise awareness about how to stop cruelty to animals for good.

Overall, the number of reports made to the charity’s cruelty line about animals being inflicted with intentional harm - including beatings, mutilations such as ear cropping, poisonings and even killings, has increased by 7.9% from summer 2020 to summer 2021 with more than 2,300 reports in June and July alone.

Dermot Murphy, Chief Inspectorate Officer at the RSPCA, said: “We are a nation of animal lovers and no one wants to think of an animal being cruelly treated but sadly the reality is that every day animals are victims of deliberate cruelty and thankfully the RSPCA is there to help them.

“There are many factors which could explain why we see a rise in cruelty during the summer months. The longer sunny days could mean people are out and about more and likely to see and report abuse.

"Hot summer days can also lead to more people drinking alcohol in the sun which in turn can be a factor causing violence. Perhaps there is boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified.

“And this year, we are also concerned that the recent rise in pet ownership coupled with the cost of living crisis 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.”