Cruelty to animals rising in 'throwaway' Britain

Cruelty to animals is rising fast in Britain's "affluent, throwaway society," the RSPCA said in a report on Wednesday.

Among the worst incidents were the discovery of a dog's decaying body chained to a radiator, a cat kicked to death for having muddy paws and 316 rats crammed into just eight cages.

As many as 137,245 alleged acts of cruelty to animals were committed in 2007, a 12 percent rise on the previous year, according to the annual report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"These animals are the helpless victims of our affluent, throwaway society," said Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate.

"They're bought on a whim and discarded when the novelty wears off. Today's must-have item quickly turns into tomorrow's cast-off.

"Worse still, some animals are violently abused because they don't meet their owners unrealistic expectations - like the dog strangled with its lead for misbehaving."

Amid the grim statistics, many pets are now enjoying new lives in good homes after the RSPCA intervened, including a dog so thin rescuers were unable to identify its breed and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier whose owners had cut its ears off.

Wass said the cruelty figures might have been worse had it not been for the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act in 2007, which allows the charity to intervene more quickly when there are cruelty concerns.

"Even in these early days, the benefits of the new law are clear," said Wass. "Without the new Act, this year's cruelty figures could have been even more horrific."

The RPSCA was particularly concerned by the 34 percent rise (1,917 people) in convictions for cruelty to dogs in 2007 as well as 13 percent increase (119) in convictions for cruelty to horses.

"Dogs have always borne the brunt of cruelty - from violent outbursts to extreme neglect," said Wass.

"But that's what makes this year's horrendous 34 percent increase even more shocking: it's a massive increase on an already high figure."

British courts also issued 861 banning orders during 2007, preventing people from keeping animals in future if they had been convicted of cruelty.