‘It’s heartbreaking’: RSPCA announces that dog cruelty is on the rise in Wakefield and Dewsbury

Last year, the RSPCA received 2,620 reports about cruelty to dogs acrosss Wakefield, Dewsbury and the rest of the county, compared to 2,481 in 2022.

Nationally, in 2023, the RSPCA received 52,662 reports about cruelty to dogs - around 144 a day - compared to 48,567 in 2022 - an increase of 8% in just one year.

The charity received 42,613 reports on cruelty to dogs in 2020, marking a 23% increase in just four years. In 2021, the number of reports was 44,479 - meaning the figures have been rising year-on-year.

The new figures have been released by the RSPCA as part of its No Animal Deserves Cruelty summer appeal.

The appeal encourages people across the district to help prevent pets from harm and to give them the lives they deserve – free from terror and torment and full of care and kindness.

Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the RSPCA, said: “It is heartbreaking that more dogs need our help - we need to make a stand against this and say ‘no more’.

"Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, yet more and more dogs are being subjected to cruelty every year.

“We would love to see, next year, cruelty going down. We know we can’t do this alone - so our purpose is for everyone to work together to create a kinder world for animals. That's why we've launched our summer appeal, because it’s vital that we all take action together to help animals like these dogs.”