THERE have been more than 1,100 acts of intentional harm to animals in Dorset in the past five years, new figures show.

The RSPCA has launched the 'Cancel Out Cruelty' campaign following the release of new figures which show there were 1,145 reports of deliberate cruelty to animals in Dorset between 2016 and 2020.

The campaign aims to raise funds to keep its rescue teams out on the frontline saving animals in need of help and to raise awareness of how to stamp our animal cruelty.

The animal welfare charity receives roughly 84,000 calls to its cruelty line every month, and around 1,500 of them are about intentional cruelty. In the summer, the charity sees a rise in calls of about 400 a month, with July being its busiest month, dealing with issues including beating, knife crime, drowning and intentional killing everyday.

Dermot Murphy, head of RSPCA animal rescue teams, said: "We always sadly see a rise in cruelty during the summer months. As well as people being out and about in the longer, sunny days, seeing a reporting abuse, we feel there are a number of factors which contribute to this rise.

"Unfortunately, the hot summer days can lead to more people drinking alcohol in the sun which can be a factor in causing violence. There could also be boredom during the long holidays and more pressures at home - when the whole family is on holiday from school and work, existing difficulties in the home can be magnified.

"During these hot months, calls to our cruelty line rise, putting more pressure on our already stretched frontline rescue teams.

"The past year has seen a reportedly huge rise in pet ownership and we know most people would not dream of harming an animal. However, we are concerned that, as we come out of lockdown and people return to their jobs outside the home or suffer financial pressures, we will see more animals suffer if their owners find themselves unable to cope."

Anyone who wants to report animal cruelty can call the RSPCA hotline on 0300 1234 999.

For more information about the RSPCA or the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, visit www.rspca.org.uk/home