New Laws Against Animal cruelty

In 2004, 70,000 pets were tortured or killed in the UK. Cases of pets being mistreated has gone up by 78 per cent since then.

The recent discovery made by RSPCA inspectors reflected that the north-east of England had the worst reputation for animal cruelty in the country.

A farm at Middleton St George, near Darlington, gave an insight of how animals are killed in a cruel and horrible way.

In a shed, inspectors’ found hundreds of dead animals that had been tortured, starved and killed, and left in their own excrement and filth. The stench in the air was unbearable.

The animals found in the shed were a mix of 264 mice, rabbits and guinea pigs. Animal Welfare Officers found eight cats that survived these were sent to an animal sanctuary.

The sheds were owned by the farmer but he had let them out to a pet shop owner from South Durham. The farmer raised the alarm after a foul smell came from the shed.

This incident shows that people are still capable of extreme animal cruelty.

Recently Lee Howard was given a six month suspended prison sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to 13 horses, four dogs, 11 hens and a rabbit.

The Government are working to give animal welfare workers new powers in the fight against animal cruelty and neglect. Pet owners who breach the rules may face up to 51 weeks in jail, a £20,000 fine and lifetime ban on keeping animals.

The Animal Welfare Bill comes before Parliament in April and if passed will give the RSPCA and the police new powers.

Superintendent Rachel Jones, a regional officer for the RSPCA, said: "I think legislation is absolutely necessary.

"A lot of the work we have done over the years, and the work smaller organisations have done, highlights the huge gap in the law which allows people to let animals suffer."