HUNDREDS of callouts for dog cruelty have been registered by the RSPCA across Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd and Powys in the past year, figures have revealed, with the charity warning of a spike in reports expected this summer as the cost-of-living crisis grows.

New figures released as part of the animal welfare charity’s Cancel Out Cruelty campaign show that despite being man’s best friend there were 44,427 reports of dog cruelty made to the RSPCA across England and Wales in the past year involving 92,244 dogs.

The figures show a significant 16 per cent increase since 2020 - when cruelty reports involving 79,513 dogs were made to the charity.

In Wales there were 3,065 reports of dog cruelty in 2021.

The top of the list was neglect with 1,890 calls and there were 500 calls relating to intentional harm.

Ceredigion recorded a total of 76 incidents, of which 57 were calls regarding neglect, and seven of intentional harm.

In Gwynedd, officers responded to 116 calls - 71 of which were for neglect and 16 for intentional harm.

RSPCA officers responded to 140 calls in Powys, including 95 for neglect, and 19 for intentional harm.

In Carmarthenshire, 191 calls were registered by the RSPCA over the 12 months, including 117 for neglect and 38 for cases of intentional harm.

Other callouts across the three counties involved abandonments, illegal activity, dogs being left unattended and being trapped.

Latest figures show that there are now an estimated 13 million dog owners in the UK, up from 9 million in 2019-2020, with lockdown causing an “unprecedented surge in demand in pet ownership.”

The RSPCA said it was also worried more dogs will fall victim to abuse and abandonments as the cost of living crisis takes hold adding financial pressures to pet owners.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “Every year, we see many dogs coming into our care bearing the physical and mental scars that were inflicted at the hands of the very people who were meant to keep them safe and love them unconditionally.

“We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers and dogs are ‘man’s best friend’ as the saying goes.

“But in reality we receive many cruelty reports every day about dogs who have suffered the most unimaginable cruelty and a 16 per cent increase of dogs being cruelly treated in a year is really concerning.

“It is heartbreaking to see the number of cruelty calls made in Wales go into the thousands and it is very concerning to see the number of reports relating to neglect and intentional harm top the list.

“With the public’s help in reporting cruelty they have been able to save many dogs from ongoing abuse.

“Sadly though in some cases others have died at the hands of their tormentors and it is then our job to try and bring some justice for the victim.

“During the summer we see a rise in cruelty and this year, as we have seen such a massive increase in dog ownership since lockdown, we are bracing ourselves for even more reports.

“We believe there are a number of factors which mean summer is our busiest time.

“Perhaps there is boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified.

“This year the cost of living crisis has added a further dimension and we believe we could see people really struggling to care for their pets and could see more animals than ever being abandoned or given up.”