An animal welfare charity has reported a shocking rise in the number of reported animal beatings in Surrey.

The RSPCA has revealed that 230 beating incidents were reported in 2025 – up 22 per cent on the 189 reported in 2021.

A total of 972 reports were made between the two years with dogs and cats being the most frequent victims.

And it’s often someone in the pet’s own family behind the violence according to the charity, which has reported a 90 per cent rise in cases nationally.

The RSPCA has released the statistics as part of their Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues campaign which coincides with the charity’s busiest time as heartbreaking cruelty reports peak over summer.

RSPCA Superintendent Jo Hirst said: “It’s incredibly distressing to see such a massive rise in reports of intentional beatings with one report coming to our cruelty line every 15 minutes.

“These are often upsetting cases where animals - usually pet cats and dogs - have experienced deliberate and horrific violence - leaving animals with not only physical injuries but mental scars as well.”

RSPCA rescuers have praised the public for their help in tackling the cruelty – not only through donations that keep officers on the frontline, but in reporting incidents to the charity’s emergency line.

“To help rescue animals from these situations we rely on the public to be our eyes and ears and report any concerns about animal abuse to us and we are grateful that so many people do and are more aware of the problem,” added Jo.

“We’re also finding that CCTV footage, doorbell cameras and smartphones are providing a view into society that we never had before, meaning that animal beatings are more likely to be caught on camera in supermarket car parks, on streets, in lifts, and even behind closed doors in the home.”