NEW figures released by an animal welfare charity warns of rises in animal harm in the summer months, with Hampshire one of the worst offenders.

The RSPCA revealed that the charity received 282 reports of intentional harm against animals in Hampshire in 2021.

This places Hampshire as one of the top 10 most cruel counties when it comes to animal harm.

The figures also show that the number of calls regarding animal abuse the charity receives increases dramatically during the months of June, July and August.

The charity normally handles around 90,000 calls per month, with the number increasing to more than 134,000 during the summer.

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Worryingly, the RSPCA has also reported that the number of reports made to the charity’s cruelty line about animals being inflicted with intentional harm is also increasing year by year.

The total number of calls increased by 7.9 percent from summer 2020 to summer 2021 with more than 2,300 reports in June and July alone.

Dermot Murphy, chief inspectorate officer at the RSPCA, said: “We are a nation of animal lovers and no one wants to think of an animal being cruelly treated but sadly the reality is that every day animals are victims of deliberate cruelty and thankfully the RSPCA is there to help them.

“There are many factors which could explain why we see a rise in cruelty during the summer months.

“The longer sunny days could mean people are out and about more and likely to see and report abuse.

“Hot summer days can also lead to more people drinking alcohol in the sun which in turn can be a factor causing violence.

“Perhaps there is boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified.

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“And this year, we are also concerned that the recent rise in pet ownership coupled with the cost-of-living crisis could see people really struggling to care for their pets which may lead them to lash out or could see more animals than ever being abandoned or given up.”

In response to the figures, the RSPCA has launched the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign to raise money to help its rescue teams save animals from cruelty and abuse.

More information about the RSPCA and Cancel Out Cruelty can be found online at rspca.org.uk.

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