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Shock RSPCA figures show beatings to animals up by a quarter in South Yorkshire
The charity says dogs and cats are most often targeted, and CCTV, doorbell cameras and smartphones are helping expose more cases.
- Leicestershire recorded 286 animal beating incidents in 2025, the highest figure in a five-year period, according to the RSPCA. This reflects a national surge, with 16,033 incidents reported across England and Wales last year.
- Since 2021, nationwide reports of animal beatings have nearly doubled from 8,459 incidents, representing a 90 per cent increase. The charity now receives one report relating to an animal being beaten every 15 minutes.
- RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst noted that perpetrators often struggle with mental health or behavioral problems, or simply lack empathy. Violence is frequently perpetrated by someone in the pet's own family, with some pets used as part of coercive control.
- The charity attributes the rise partly to increased use of CCTV, doorbell cameras, and smartphones, providing unprecedented visibility into society. Animal beatings are now more likely to be caught on camera and reported to authorities.
- These statistics were released as part of the RSPCA's Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues campaign, launched during summer when cruelty reports peak. The charity relies on public reports to investigate cases and rescue animals from abusive environments.
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