RSCPA report finds Lancashire high in animal cruelty rankings

The RSPCA’s annual report has revealed that 8 out of 10 counties with the most suffering and cruelty of animals are in the North.

The cruelty league table for England and Wales brought up these statistics, with Lancashire positioned sixth.

The number of offences seen in court last year has increased for Lancashire as well, with 44 people convicted from 85 cases, compared to 34 people on 60 offences in 2013.

5,252 complaints were investigated by the charity in Lancashire alone during 2014, with more than 700 of those involving claims of deliberate cruelty.

Details of some horrific scenes were outlined in the report, including one case of a cat that had been hit by a car and where a passer by had “kicked it like a football several times.”

RSPCA’s Chief Vet James Yeates said, “Most of the complaints we receive involve animals being neglected or not receiving the right care.

“However it is shocking that in 2014 people are still being deliberately cruel in what can be disturbingly inventive ways.”