SHOCKING new figures show that there has been nearly a 50 per cent increase in the number of animal beatings reported to the RSPCA in Cornwall.

The animal welfare charity has revealed that a startling 16,033 beating incidents were reported nationally last year - almost double since 2021, when the figure stood at 8,459.

The numbers released by the RSPCA show that one incident of animal beating across the country is being recorded every 15 minutes.

Last year, Cornwall saw 203 incidents reported, a sharp rise from the 137 in 2021, adding to a total of 805 reports between 2025 and 2021.

The 48 per cent rise means Cornwall appears in the top ten counties with the most ‘Percentage Rise Rate of Growth’.

The charity has expressed that it is dogs and cats that are usually facing the brunt of these attacks, though other animals are often victims too.

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.”

The charity’s campaign coincides with the RSPCA’s busiest time, as cruelty reports peak over summer. In June, July and August last year the RSPCA received 6,322 cruelty calls to their emergency line last year which is one call every 10 minutes when the line is open.