Navigation

  • Skip to Content
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Search the RSPCA' RSPCA site navigation
  • Home
  • Find a pet
    • Rehome a pet
    • Rehome a horse
    • Foster an animal
    • Advice for adopters
  • Advice and welfare
    • Pets
    • Lab animals
    • Farm animals
    • Wildlife
    • Litter
    • Seasonal advice
    • Diseases
    • Performing animals
  • Get involved
    • Volunteer
    • Campaign
    • Donate
    • Win
    • Fundraise
    • Young people
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Businesses
  • What we do
    • Your local RSPCA
    • End cruelty
    • Care for animals
    • Education
    • Latest
    • Who we are
    • How we work
  • Coronavirus latest
    • Walking someone else's dog
    • Walking your dog in the countryside
  • Shop
    • Online shop
    • Pet insurance
    • Exotic pet insurance
    • Pet friendly holidays
    • Shop and donate
IconReport cruelty Donate
IconAsk us a question
IconYour local RSPCA Iconmy RSPCA

IconAsk us a question
IconYour local RSPCA IconReport cruelty Donate
  • Home
  • Find a pet
  • Advice and welfare
  • Get involved
  • What we do
  • Coronavirus latest
  • Shop
My RSPCA
  • My account
  • My pets
  • Sign in
Search the RSPCA
  • Rehome a pet
  • Rehome a horse
  • Foster an animal
  • Advice for adopters
  • Pets
  • Lab animals
  • Farm animals
  • Wildlife
  • Litter
  • Seasonal advice
  • Diseases
  • Performing animals
  • Volunteer
  • Campaign
  • Donate
  • Win
  • Fundraise
  • Young people
  • Membership
  • Events
  • Businesses
  • Your local RSPCA
  • End cruelty
  • Care for animals
  • Education
  • Latest
  • Who we are
  • How we work
  • Walking someone else's dog
  • Walking your dog in the countryside
  • Online shop
  • Pet insurance
  • Exotic pet insurance
  • Pet friendly holidays
  • Shop and donate
  • How to rehome
  • How to rehome a horse
  • Horse fostering
  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Rabbits
  • Horses
  • Rodents
  • Ferrets
  • Exotic pets
  • Ornamental Fish
  • General
  • Giving up a pet
  • Pet bereavement
  • Find or call a vet
  • Pet theft
  • Are animal experiments necessary?
  • Testing chemicals
  • Medicines and vaccines
  • Replacing research animals
  • Reducing research animal suffering
  • Primates and research
  • Biotechnology
  • Farm animals as pets
  • Slaughter
  • On-farm
  • Live transport
  • Pigs
  • Laying hens
  • Sheep
  • Farmed fish
  • Meat chickens
  • Ducks
  • Dairy cows
  • Beef cattle
  • Turkeys
  • Farmed rabbits
  • Foie Gras
  • Worried about a farm animal?
  • Bovine TB
  • Injured wild animals
  • Orphaned wild animals
  • Wildlife in captivity
  • Animals in the wild
  • Living with wildlife
  • Wildlife laws
  • Find a rehabilitator
  • Wildlife deterrents
  • How we're helping
  • Fishing litter
  • Chinese lanterns
  • Alternatives to balloons and sky lanterns
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
  • Floods
  • Pets at Christmas
  • Wildlife in the garden
  • Alabama rot
  • Guidelines
  • Report concerns
  • FAQs
  • Find a volunteering opportunity
  • What can I do?
  • Corporate volunteering
  • What's it like to volunteer with us?
  • Puppy trade
  • Breed Specific Legislation
  • Stun before slaughter
  • Sentient beings
  • Fireworks
  • Circuses
  • Sanctuaries
  • Farm Animals
  • Cheap chicken
  • #EndSkyLitter
  • Tougher sentencing
  • Make Wales kinder for animals
  • Stop live exports
  • Join our campaign network
  • Donate online
  • Leaving a legacy
  • Giving monthly
  • Current appeals
  • Sponsorship
  • Donate in memory
  • Advice for donors
  • Unwanted items
  • Raffle
  • Lottery
  • Virtual challenges
  • Animal Hero
  • Running
  • Trekking
  • Cycling
  • Training hub
  • Gaming
  • Own place in an event
  • Ideas and resources
  • Fundraising pack
  • Pay in your offline fundraising
  • Subscription
  • Renewal
  • Buttercup Farm
  • 30DaysForAnimals
  • Adult member
  • Teenage member
  • Local events
  • Honours
  • One Fun Day
  • Challenge events
  • Christmas Concert
  • Big Walkies Live
  • Howloween
  • Become a partner
  • Our corporate partners
  • Other ways companies can support
  • Investigate cruelty
  • Rescue animals
  • Prevent suffering
  • Prosecution
  • Change the law
  • Work internationally
  • Rehabilitation
  • Release
  • Our wildlife centres
  • Veterinary care
  • Home for Life
  • Financial assistance
  • Children in school
  • Disadvantaged youth
  • Young offenders
  • At home
  • News
  • Our blog
  • Publications
  • The Dog Rescuers
  • Jo Brand's Kitten Rescue
  • Media contacts
  • Facts
  • Animal Tales podcast
  • Adoptober
  • Our history
  • Governance
  • Our VIPs
  • Our branches
  • Our executives
  • Our ambassadors
  • Our mission
  • Policies
  • RSPCA's rules
  • Cat insurance
  • Dog insurance
  • Compare our policies
  • Do I need pet insurance?
  • Cottages
  • Hoseasons Holiday Parks
Home / What we do / End cruelty / Prosecution / Animal cruelty stories
Share this...

Animal cruelty stories

Here you'll read stories which represent just a limited number of the animal cruelty or neglect cases that we come across on a regular basis.

Warning: You may find some of the details in these stories upsetting

Share this...
Print Animal cruelty stories
Mischief after care © RSPCA
Cat shot and left to suffer
A cat was left to suffer after his owner tried to DIY the injury.
Archie after coming into our care © RSPCA
Man deliberately breaks his dogs back
A man who fractured his dog's spine and left him with extensive bruising was disqualified from keeping animals for life.
Video capture of pigeon being attacked
Video shows man trying to kill or injure pigeon
A social media video shows a man trying to kill or injure a pigeon with a full bottle of water.
Collie after being in our care and with new owner © RSPCA
Over 175 animals found dead
A woman was disqualified from keeping animals for life after she admitted causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of a large number of animals in her care.
Sally the dog after care © RSPCA
Puppy farmer puts profits over duty of care
A man who disregarded animal welfare to make a profit from puppies was disqualified from keeping dogs for life.
 
RSPCA Inspector with single adult horse © RSPCA photolibrary

Investigating animal cruelty

How our inspectors investigate complaints of animal cruelty and neglect.

 

Preventing animal cruelty

Through education, advice, services, campaigning, and the law - we can prevent cruelty to animals.

 
RSPCA Inspector and dog outside 10 Downing street © RSPCA Photolibrary

Prosecution

The power to prosecute means we can stop the suffering of more animals, when other means don't work.

 
 
 
 
  • Deciding to prosecute
  • Reviewing our work
  • Animal cruelty stories
 
 
 

How we help


More than

102,900

Animals were rescued and collected last year

Get in touch


  • Ask a question
  • Find your local RSPCA
  • Contact us
  • Report cruelty

Our charity


  • Media centre
  • Science
  • RSPCA Assured
  • Education

Follow us


Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Follow us on Instagram

Or sign up for email updates

© RSPCA 2021. All rights reserved. The RSPCA helps animals in England and Wales. Registered charity no.219099.

  • Jobs
  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Site map
  • National privacy notice
  • Accessibility
  • Modern slavery