Sussex RSPCA Reports Spike In Animal Cruelty During Summer

New figures show the RSPCA sees a spike in cruelty during the summer months and, with pet ownership on the rise, coupled with financial pressures, the charity is braced for a summer of suffering in Sussex.

The charity says it receives 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 June, July and August, calls rise to 134,000 a month - three every minute - and reports of cruelty soar to 7,600 each month - that's 245 on average every day. 

The charity has now 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.

A tear jerking video released this week follows the story of RSPCA Inspector Lauren Bailey who rescued Buddy, a mastiff-cross who suffered second degree burns from boiling hot water and was left in pain for 10 days.

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.

In East Sussex, there were 168 reports of intentional harm against animals made to the RSPCA last year. 

In West Sussex, there were 127 reports of intentional harm against animals made to the RSPCA last year. 

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.”

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

Dermot added:

“These figures are shocking and deeply upsetting and show why we need your help to save those animals who need us the most now more than ever. As a charity, we are bracing to tackle a summer of suffering but we cannot do this without your help.”

To help support the RSPCA, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty