South and West Yorkshire are among the worst counties across England and Wales for animal cruelty, according to the RSPCA.
New figures released by the animal welfare charity show a 64% annual increase nationally in cruelty reports during the summer.
In West Yorkshire, cruelty reports increased by 15%, in North Yorkshire by 6%, while in South Yorkshire they dropped by 6%.
RSPCA Supt Jo Hirst described the figures as “alarming”, and said the rise in pet ownership during the pandemic and longer summer days, which could increase opportunities for people to witness and report cruelty, could be contributing to the increase in reports.
In June, July and August 2025 the RSPCA received 6,322 cruelty calls to their emergency line.
In West Yorkshire, that number stood at 268, an increase from 234 in the same period in 2024.
In North Yorkshire the number of reports increased by 6% from 86 in summer 2024 to 91 in 2025.
Meanwhile, in South Yorkshire 153 reports were made during last summer – a 6% decline from 162 the previous year.
Among the cases reported were a terrier which was found in West Yorkshire lying in its own blood with untreated injuries and missing teeth and two kittens, which were found dead in a pet carrier in a field in Rotherham.
