The UK likes to think of itself as a nation of animal lovers. That is it used to. With so many reports of dreadful acts of animal cruelty in the UK it would be easy to think the reverse is true and that we were a nation of animal abusers.
The RSPCA is one organisation that attempts to fight animal cruelty in the UK but it is suffering under the weight of a significant increase in animal abuse.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been in operation since the early 1800s. Today's news of the charity's struggle to survive is sad news. It shows just how far we still have to go. Footage of a dead dog in a squalid house, slaughter men abusing stock and of dogs spurred on to fight for spectators to make money looked reminiscent of the dark ages. 21st Century living it is not.
The RSPCA has experienced a huge increase in its workload. The number of animal cruelty and neglect cases has risen by a quarter. In the UK there are many other smaller charities also trying to do their bit. These include this blogger's local Hessle Dog Rescue, PDSA, Blue Cross and Hillside Sanctuary. There are hundreds more which gives some idea of the scale of the problem.
According to the Telegraph "1,300 people were prosecuted for the crime last year, a rise of 23.5 per cent, while more than 2,100 were convicted for cruelty to dogs, representing a rise of 22 per cent. The overall number of convictions is the highest since records began and the RSPCA warned that the soaring figures had left it facing a funding crisis. The charity said it showed zero tolerance to animal abusers but warned that it could only deal with the number of cases for which it had capacity."
All too often the courts let us down. Abusers of animals deserve a tough sentence not a slap on the wrist. Weak sentencing does not act as a deterrent plus it makes the work of the RSPCA that much harder. The Chief Executive of the RSPCA said, "The RSPCA faces a crisis that is stretching us to breaking point."We need the courts and councils, police and people who care to join us in standing up and getting justice for Britain's abused animals."
Recent cases have included "a dog repeatedly stabbed with a potato peeler and a blind kitten found dumped in a carrier bag. An emaciated dog was found dumped on Christmas Day and another ate her dead mate to survive after being abandoned."
None of these reports surprise this blogger. Working to help a local dog rescue she has known of a dog with nails hammered into its head, a dog being made to drink bleach, starvation of animals, abandonment, and on sicko who was feeding live puppies to his pet snake.
There are many charities needing donations so it is up to you. If you can help the RSPCA or other animal charities please consider doing so. Your help does not have to only be money as it could be supplying old bed linen for rescue shelters, organising a sponsored walk or supermarket bag pack, working in a charity shop, walking dogs in a rescue shelter, fostering a dog on a short term basis or adopting a dog for life.
Above all NEVER turn a blind eye or deaf ear to an animal that is suffering. We need to all act in order to support organisations such as the RSPCA and be zero tolerant of animal cruelty in the UK and around the world in general. Reading the report last week of a puppy in the US who had lighter fuel poured onto it before, to the laughter of observers, it was set alight, shows just how sick some members of our society are. They must be stopped and brought to justice.
Note: Look online and you will soon see that setting dogs on fire is not as rare as you may hope. What a world.
The RSPCA is one organisation that attempts to fight animal cruelty in the UK but it is suffering under the weight of a significant increase in animal abuse.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been in operation since the early 1800s. Today's news of the charity's struggle to survive is sad news. It shows just how far we still have to go. Footage of a dead dog in a squalid house, slaughter men abusing stock and of dogs spurred on to fight for spectators to make money looked reminiscent of the dark ages. 21st Century living it is not.
The RSPCA has experienced a huge increase in its workload. The number of animal cruelty and neglect cases has risen by a quarter. In the UK there are many other smaller charities also trying to do their bit. These include this blogger's local Hessle Dog Rescue, PDSA, Blue Cross and Hillside Sanctuary. There are hundreds more which gives some idea of the scale of the problem.
According to the Telegraph "1,300 people were prosecuted for the crime last year, a rise of 23.5 per cent, while more than 2,100 were convicted for cruelty to dogs, representing a rise of 22 per cent. The overall number of convictions is the highest since records began and the RSPCA warned that the soaring figures had left it facing a funding crisis. The charity said it showed zero tolerance to animal abusers but warned that it could only deal with the number of cases for which it had capacity."
All too often the courts let us down. Abusers of animals deserve a tough sentence not a slap on the wrist. Weak sentencing does not act as a deterrent plus it makes the work of the RSPCA that much harder. The Chief Executive of the RSPCA said, "The RSPCA faces a crisis that is stretching us to breaking point."We need the courts and councils, police and people who care to join us in standing up and getting justice for Britain's abused animals."
Recent cases have included "a dog repeatedly stabbed with a potato peeler and a blind kitten found dumped in a carrier bag. An emaciated dog was found dumped on Christmas Day and another ate her dead mate to survive after being abandoned."
None of these reports surprise this blogger. Working to help a local dog rescue she has known of a dog with nails hammered into its head, a dog being made to drink bleach, starvation of animals, abandonment, and on sicko who was feeding live puppies to his pet snake.
There are many charities needing donations so it is up to you. If you can help the RSPCA or other animal charities please consider doing so. Your help does not have to only be money as it could be supplying old bed linen for rescue shelters, organising a sponsored walk or supermarket bag pack, working in a charity shop, walking dogs in a rescue shelter, fostering a dog on a short term basis or adopting a dog for life.
Above all NEVER turn a blind eye or deaf ear to an animal that is suffering. We need to all act in order to support organisations such as the RSPCA and be zero tolerant of animal cruelty in the UK and around the world in general. Reading the report last week of a puppy in the US who had lighter fuel poured onto it before, to the laughter of observers, it was set alight, shows just how sick some members of our society are. They must be stopped and brought to justice.
Note: Look online and you will soon see that setting dogs on fire is not as rare as you may hope. What a world.
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