Animal cruelty rises over the summer - charity

An animal welfare charity has described a "busy summer" with animals being left outside in direct sunlight, with no water, during heatwaves.

It comes as the RSPCA revealed it had seen a "massive" increase in summer cruelty over the last five years.

At the charity's vet hospital in Birmingham, rescue officer Cara Gibbon said: "This summer we have seen an increase in dogs being outside, unfortunately, with no shade, no water and overall people have been struggling more with getting their animals to the vets."

Last year, the RSPCA received 6,322 cruelty calls to its emergency line during the summer, compared to 3,852 calls for the same period in 2021 - an increase of 64%.

Animal rescue officer Daniel Hope added: "Most of the worst cases have been to do with the real hot weather, and people leaving their dogs out, not realising that they can't be out, and walking them in the peak of day, when it's the hottest time of day

"They should be bringing them inside rather than leaving them outside."

The charity has urged the public to continue reporting suspected cases of cruelty, and said it "doesn't matter how small the job is, it will get assessed"

"We can help, that's what we are there for. We need people on the ground to use their eyes and ears and then call us, and we can assess the situation," Gibbon added.

As well as cruelty in the form of neglect, the charity said it dealt with a number of cases involving animals that needed immediate surgery.

Antonina Babchuk, a veterinary surgeon at the Birmingham Animal Centre in Frankley, said: "I have seen animals that have been.. stabbed, have been shot.

"It takes a lot of mental capacity to step outside of the immediate stress of the situation and just look at it with a cool head."

"We have seen quite a stark rise in the level of cruelty and neglect cases. Previously it's been quite a lot of dog-based cruelty. Now I am seeing a lot more cats.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing quite a substantial rise throughout the general animal population, which is quite sad to be honest." Babchuk added.

According to the charity, the areas with the highest numbers of animal cruelty cases, in order, are London, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Kent.

As well as summer calls increasing, there was also an increase in cruelty calls through the year, with 21,117 in 2025 compared to 17,260 in 2024.

Suzanne Norbury from the RSPCA said: "Behind that increase is individual animals who each have an important story."

"We never quite know why, but we are really hoping to raise awareness, encourage people to help us as a charity, help those animals."

One animal recently saved from a neglectful owner and taken to Birmingham Vet Hospital is one-year-old Murphy.

The dog, believed to be an Akita crossbreed, has been rehabilitated by the RSPCA team, and is now looking for a new home.

"We'd really encourage someone, if they think they have space in their heart and their home for Murphy, to give him that chance, that he desperately needs.

"He's looking for someone who's active, who's got the space to care for him," Norbury added.

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