‘heartbreaking’: Isle of Wight sees a rise in dog cruelty

Cruelty to dogs increased on the Isle of Wight in 2023, shocking figures from the RSPCA shows.

Last year, the RSPCA received 124 reports about cruelty to dogs in the county, compared to 109 in 2022.

Nationally, in 2023, the RSPCA received 52,662 reports about cruelty to dogs – around 144 a day – compared to 48,567 in 2022 – an increase of 8% in just one year.

The charity received 42,613 reports on cruelty to dogs in 2020, marking a 23% increase in just four years. In 2021, the number of reports was 44,479 – meaning the figures have been rising year-on-year.

The new figures have been released by the RSPCA as part of its No Animal Deserves Cruelty summer appeal.

“It is heartbreaking that more dogs need our help – we need to make a stand against this and say ‘no more’,” said Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the RSPCA. “Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, yet more and more dogs are being subjected to cruelty every year. Dogs are the most popular pet in the UK yet also the ones who potentially suffer the most.

“We would love to see, next year, cruelty going down. We know we can’t do this alone – so our purpose is for everyone to work together to create a kinder world for animals. That’s why we’ve launched our summer appeal, because it’s vital that we all take action together to help animals like these dogs.”