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Beatings and knifings among 1,500 attacks on animals in Norfolk
Lottie, who was found starved in an abandoned home - Credit: Archant
Beatings and knife attacks are among almost 1,500 cases of deliberate animal abuse in Norfolk in the last five years.
The RSPCA has released figures showing there have been 1,472 reports of deliberate cruelty to animals in the county.
It published the figures as it launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, to raise funds to keep its rescue teams on the front line, saving animals in desperate need of help and raising awareness.
Beatings, knife crime, drowning and intentional killing are some of the horrific incidents RSPCA animal rescuers deal with every day.
RSPCA inspectors get called by to homes amid fears for the dogs' welfare - Credit: RSPCA
The RSPCA gets around 84,000 calls to its cruelty line every month and around 1,500 of those are about intentional cruelty.
The charity sees a rise in the summer by around 400 calls, on average, per month, which equates to 47 calls every day or two every hour.
Across Suffolk, 1,025 reports of deliberate cruelty to animals have been reported in the same timeframe.
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July is often the RSPCA's busiest month. Last year it dealt with a spike in intentional cruelty as 1,532 incidents were called through to the emergency helpline and the charity is expecting a similar spike this July.
KD after she was found in Donegal Road - Credit: Contributed
Dermot Murphy, head of RSPCA animal rescue teams, said: “We always sadly see a rise in cruelty during the summer months.
“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.
new figures from the RSPCA show there have been 1,472 reports of deliberate cruelty to animals in Norfolk in the last five years. - Credit: Archant
“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.
“We urge anyone who wants to report animal cruelty to us to call our hotline on 0300 1234 999.”
To donate to the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign visit www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty.
