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By News Editor, Declan Wilkes London has been revealed to be one of the worst places for animal cruelty in the country - according to the RSPCA Nearly 100 Londoners were convicted for cruelty to animals last year, the 4th worst area in the UK.
Dog abuse up a third
Dog abuse was a major concern to the charity as cases rose by a third. One disgusting case in the city was a couple who cut off part of their Stafford bull terrier ears to make it look more menacing. The trend has been noted across London. The pair was banned from keeping animals and given community service orders. Another conviction was of Abishai Hayes, 22, from Holloway. The heartless criminal admitted torturing his 10-month-old dog. His collie cross-breed was found with two broken legs, slash wounds to the face and deep stab wounds to the neck, legs, back and chest. Illegal breeding Just last week police seized three dangerous dogs on one street in Gospel Oak - leading to suspicions an illegal kennel may be breeding dangerous fighting dogs. There has been a six-fold increase in dogs confiscated in the city in the last two years. Cops are calling them the new knifes.
Numbers rising
96 people were convicted in London last year; the 2007 Animal Welfare Act has made it possible for authorities to act sooner when concerns are raised. Banning orders are up by over a quarter, investigations are up 12%, 42% more people are going to prison and all together 92% of convictions by the RSPCA resulted in a conviction. Tim Wass, Chief Officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate called animals helpless victims of our throwaway society discarded when the novelty wears off. Continuing he said: “Some animals are violently abused because they don’t meet their owners’ unrealistic expectations: like the cat kicked to death for having muddy paws or the dog strangled with its lead for misbehaving.”
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