Shocking new RSPCA figures show a massive 90% increase in the number of animal beatings reported to the charity – with one incident recorded every 15 minutes*.
The animal welfare charity today revealed that a startling 16,033 beating incidents were reported last year – almost double since 2021, when the figure stood at 8,459.
And in London the number of beatings last year stood at 1,665 – a 35% rise since 2021 when it stood at 1,237 – making London the place with the biggest increase in beatings. In total there have been 7,720 beatings between 2021 and 2025.
Every 15 minutes the charity receives a beating report – this represents a staggering 85% of all animal cruelty complaints made to the RSPCA – meaning it deals with more animals being beaten than any other issue.
Dogs and cats usually face the brunt of these attacks – but other animals are often victims too. And according to the charity, it is often someone in the pet’s own family perpetrating the violence – the very person who should be protecting them.
One case involved a doberman dog who was found by RSPCA rescuers suffering with two skull fractures and a catalogue of other severe wounds when he was rescued from a London property. (more info below)
The new statistics have been released as part of the charity’s Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues campaign which coincides with the charity’s busiest time as heartbreaking cruelty reports peak over summer.
RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst said: “It’s incredibly distressing to see such a massive rise in reports of intentional beatings with one report coming to our cruelty line every 15 minutes. These are often upsetting cases where animals – usually pet cats and dogs – have experienced deliberate and horrific violence – leaving animals with not only physical injuries but mental scars as well.
“The reasons why an individual acts in this way can be down to a multitude of factors – if they are struggling with behavioural problems or their mental health, they may have violent tendencies generally, or sometimes pets are used as part of coercive control, or simply the perpetrator has a complete lack of empathy for animals.”
RSPCA rescuers have praised the public for their help in tackling the cruelty – not only through donations that keep officers on the frontline, but in reporting incidents to the charity’s emergency line.
“To help rescue animals from these situations we rely on the public to be our eyes and ears and report any concerns about animal abuse to us and we are grateful that so many people do and are more aware of the problem,” added Jo.
“We’re also finding that CCTV footage, doorbell cameras and smartphones are providing a view into society that we never had before, meaning that animal beatings are more likely to be caught on camera in supermarket car parks, on streets, in lifts, and even behind closed doors in the home.
“This could also account for the rise that we are seeing as they are more likely to be caught on camera, uploaded to social media or reported to us.”
London dog left with visible head swelling and skull fractures after beatings
A doberman dog was found by RSPCA rescuers suffering with two skull fractures and a catalogue of other severe wounds when he was rescued from a London property.
The animal welfare charity was responding to reports that a man had beaten and attempted to strangle a dog in a garden when the rescuer came across Nelson who had serious head wounds and other visible injuries.
Nelson was seized by police and handed into RSPCA care but was so terrified rescuers said he appeared ‘broken’. He was given emergency veterinary attention by the RSPCA at their Finsbury Park Hospital and after months in care to help him learn to trust again he has since been rehomed and is loving his new life in Devon with his transformation captured on video
At a court hearing in November last year a man was found guilty of four offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
