RSPCA investigated 496 complaints of animal cruelty in last year in Herefordshire

The RSPCA investigated 496 complaints about animal cruelty in Herefordshire last year - with almost 10 new animal welfare concerns being looked into by local inspectors in the county every week.

The figure has been released as part of the charity’s annual Cruelty Statistics, which shows that, nationally, 141,760 complaints about animal welfare were investigated in 2017.
 
The stats show that there has been a rise in Herefordshire in the number of complaints about animal cruelty received by the charity, up from 493 in 2016.

Cases brought to justice by the RSPCA in included the successful rescue of a hairless dog whose previous owners were disqualified from keeping dogs for five years.
 
The RSPCA discovered the two West Highland terriers, Star and Sadie, were suffering with the painful skin condition after receiving calls from members of the public who were concerned for the dogs’ welfare.
 
When RSPCA inspector Suzi Smith first saw Star and Sadie she was shocked to see the dogs with hardly any hair and crusty, greasy, infected and inflamed skin with scabs but has since found herself even more shocked after unknowingly selecting Star as the winner of the ‘Best Rescue’ category when she was recently asked to judge a charity dog show in Hereford.

She said: “Star’s new owner brought her along to the local RSPCA branch dog show as part of the River Carnival in Hereford where I was judging.
 
“I had no idea she was coming and honestly didn't recognise her with all her hair - needless to say I ended with tears in my eyes. Pet owners need to realise that they have a responsibility to care for their animals. That includes ensuring any health issues are dealt with promptly to avoid distress to animals in their care.”
 
Other cases included:
 
●       A man was sentenced after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a pregnant dog who was found in Hereford by a local authority dog warden with untreated bite wounds covering her face. He was fined £485 and ordered to carry out 77 hours of unpaid work.
●       A cat was left with serious injuries and foot paralysis after being found with his leg in a Fenn trap two weeks after he went missing from his Hertfordshire home.
 
This year, the RSPCA is focusing on the plight of horses as animal rescuers and welfare charities struggle to cope with an ongoing equine crisis.
 
The charity’s Cruelty Statistics reveal that nationally, nearly 1,000 horses were rescued by the charity from cruelty, suffering and neglect last year (2017), and a staggering 928 horses are still in the charity's care.
 
The national horse crisis, which charities first highlighted in 2012, has since seen RSPCA officers routinely called out to abandoned horses every day up and down the country, with many of them extremely sick, dead or dying on arrival.
 
The RSPCA’s latest figures show the horrifying impact of the crisis:
●       The charity’s 24-hour emergency line received more than 80 calls a day about horses in 2017
●       The charity took in the highest number of horses into its care for four years (980)
●       The charity currently has 928 in its care
●       Last year the RSPCA secured 25% more convictions for equine offences than two years ago.
●       It costs the RSPCA more than £3m per year to care for the horses, excluding veterinary costs.
 
Many of the incidents dealt with by RSPCA nationally throughout 2017 concerned horses, and other equines. The animal welfare charity is today highlighting the significant consequences of the ongoing horse crisis.
 
Despite the efforts of the RSPCA and other equine welfare organisations, the crisis shows no sign of easing, with the charity struggling to find stables and funding to keep the large number of horses it has had to take in. As soon as one horse is rehomed, another is waiting to immediately fill the stable and, as a consequence, the majority of horses taken in by the RSPCA have to be cared for in private boarding stables at further cost to the charity.
 
In Hereford in 2017, the RSPCA received 46 complaints about 37 horses.
 
The RSPCA’s inspectorate national equine co-ordinator Christine McNeil said: “Up and down England and Wales, horses are being found sick, dying or sometimes dead. It is frequently the case that they have been abandoned and left to die. This is upsettingly very common and it’s a massive issue - a very sad one at that.

“We are constantly receiving calls to our cruelty line - on average 80 per day about horses alone across England and Wales - as well as messages every day on social media from very concerned and upset people asking for our help.”
 
Nationally, in 2017 the RSPCA:
 
●       Received 1,037,435 calls to its 24-hour cruelty line*
●       Investigated 141,760 complaints of alleged animal cruelty
●       Issued 76,460 advice and improvement notices
●       Successfully prosecuted 696 people
●       Secured 602 disqualification orders following prosecution
●       Had a prosecution success rate of 91.2%
 
The highest number of complaints investigated were in Greater London (11,259), followed by Greater Manchester (7,472) and then West Yorkshire (6,969). Across England and Wales, 388 new cases of animal cruelty were investigated every day.
 
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit:www.rspca.org.uk/suffering