‘Heartbreaking’ data shows Hampshire animal beatings rise by nearly a third with cases reported on 'massive scale'

Data from the RSPCA shows reports of animals being beaten and put under physical cruelty is climbing in Hampshire. The end of the Covid-19 pandemic and people suffering cost of living pressures have been cited as possible factors.

Dermot Murphy, inspectorate commissioner at the RSPCA, 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.

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‘While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase in reports of cruelty, the cost-of-living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in have created an animal welfare crisis with more people getting pets with potentially less time and money to care for them.’

Statistics from the animal welfare charity show 373 incidents of animal beatings were recorded in Hampshire last year. This has soared by 32 per cent from 282 reports in 2021.

Across England and Wales, there were 9,700 reports of violent incidents in 2022 – the equivalent of 26 per day. The number of beatings peaked in August at 1,100.

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More animals were were also killed in suspicious circumstances, with 891 in 2022 – rising by 15 per cent from 775 the previous year. Mr Murphy added that the cost of rescuing animals is at an all time high due to the cost of living crisis, with the charity’s vital services being ‘stretched to the limit’.

He said: ‘Together, we believe we can and will cancel out cruelty to animals by replacing violence with kindness.’

The RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign in a bid to stamp out animal cruelty.