Cruelty which shames us all

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Sheffield Today

A SHAMEFUL catalogue of cruelty inflicted upon animals in South Yorkshire was today revealed by the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspectors in South Yorkshire investigated 3,592 cruelty and neglect allegations last year - more than their colleagues in Newcastle, Teesside and North and East Yorkshire. Only West Yorkshire fared worse in the North of England.
One of the sickest cases of cruelty happened in October when a six-month-old Dalmatian puppy was hanged from a tree at Cudworth Welfare Park in Barnsley.
The Star carried a front page picture of the lifeless dog which led to a deluge of calls from outraged readers and a £500 reward offered to anyone who could find yobs responsible - but the culprits have never been caught.
Cruelty cases in South Yorkshire included that of Gail Cook, aged 43, from Kingsway, Stainforth, Doncaster, whose labrador was found starving in a backyard full of rubbish.
And horse owner Rodney Johnston, 47, from Doncaster, allowed his animal to become emaciated before claiming his mother and brother were dead in an effort to avoid going to court. He repeatedly tried to evade interviews with RSPCA inspectors.
In Chesterfield, 53-year-old John Cole was jailed in January last year after starving his niece's two pet dogs to death. Cole had been left to look after the dogs but starved them to such an extent they were driven to cannibalism and mutilated each other.
He had buried the bodies of the male and female black and tan cross breed dogs in the garden of his house in Glossops Croft, Old Whittington.
In South Yorkshire 27 adult defendants and one juvenile were taken to court by the RSPCA. Of these 40 convictions for offences were secured and seven offenders were cautioned.
Alan Wolinski, regional manager for the RSPCA in the North, said: "2005 will go down as one of the most violent towards animals. Sadly, despite our best efforts, there are those who continue to ignore our messages and treat animals with brute force instead of compassion.
"The cases highlighted today show why the RSPCA will continue to prosecute those who feel they are doing nothing wrong when harming an animal."
National figures show a 20 per cent increase in convictions secured by the RSPCA, a 13 per cent increase in defendants convicted and a six per cent increase in cases reported and investigated.
The RSPCA's new welfare figures have also shown an alarming national rise in animals not receiving basic care, including access to water, veterinary treatment or a clean environment.
Mr Wolinski added: "On a more positive note, it is heartening to see how many of these cruelty victims enjoy new and happy lives once they are rehomed by our dedicated staff."