Dog cruelty incidents up across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight last year
1777 cases were reported to the RSCPA
Last updated 25th Aug 2023
Incidents of cruelty towards dogs rose by 5% across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight last year, according to figures from the RSPCA.
There were 1,777 reports made to the animal welfare charity in 2022, about cruelty to dogs in the county, compared with 1,692 in 2021.
That includes cases of neglect, abandonments and intentional harm - which can include attempted killing, poisoning, beating, improper killing, mutilation and suspicious circumstances.
Hampshire saw the most reports with 1208, and the largest increase the year before, with 70 more cases reported.
461 cases were reported across Dorset last year, and 108 in the Isle of Wight.
Nationally, there were 42,690 cruelty cases reported to the RSPCA about dogs, a 7% increase from 2021.
Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner, said:
“Right now, animal cruelty is happening in England and Wales on a massive scale and rising. It is heartbreaking that we are seeing such sad figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.
“While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase, the cost of living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in has created an animal welfare crisis.
“Each year, these reports reach its terrible annual peak in the summer months – when an animal is beaten on average every hour of every day. The cost-of-living crisis also means the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and our vital services are stretched to the limit.”