RSPCA campaign launched after 1,902 reports of animal cruelty in Nottinghamshire in the last five years

The RSPCA has launched a new campaign to ‘Cancel Out Cruelty’ after figures revealed there were 1,902 reports of animal cruelty in Nottinghamshire in the last five years.
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The charity has released the figures on an interactive Cruelty Map - as part of the campaign, to raise funds to keep its rescue teams out on the frontline.

July is a particularly busy month for investigating cruelty - last year the RSPCA dealt with a spike in intentional cruelty as 1,532 incidents were called through to their emergency helpline and the charity is expecting a similar spike this July.

Head of RSPCA animal rescue teams Dermot Murphy said: “We always sadly see a rise in cruelty during the summer months.

" As well as more people being out and about in the longer sunny days, seeing and reporting abuse, we feel there are a number of factors which contribute to this rise.

“Unfortunately, the hot summer days can lead to more people drinking alcohol in the sun which can be a factor in causing violence.

"There could also be boredom during the long holidays and more pressures at home - when the whole family is on holiday from school and work, existing difficulties in the home can be magnified.

"During these hot months, calls to our cruelty line rise, putting more pressure on our already stretched frontline rescue teams.

RSPCA campaign launched after 1,902 reports of animal cruelty in Nottinghamshire in the last five yearsRSPCA campaign launched after 1,902 reports of animal cruelty in Nottinghamshire in the last five years
RSPCA campaign launched after 1,902 reports of animal cruelty in Nottinghamshire in the last five years

“Police forces reported a rise in domestic violence last year during lockdown and we are concerned that similar pressures which led to this rise may also have impacted on more cruelty to animals behind closed doors during the pandemic.

“The past year has seen a reportedly huge rise in pet ownership and we know most people would not dream of harming an animal.

"However, we are concerned that, as we come out of lockdown and people return to their jobs outside the home or suffer financial pressures, we will see more animals suffer if their owners find themselves unable to cope.

“We are urging people in Nottinghamshire to support our campaign to Cancel Out Cruelty so we can all work together to end cruelty towards animals.

“We urge anyone who wants to report animal cruelty to us to call our hotline on 0300 1234 999.”