ALMOST 2,000 reports of dog cruelty in South Yorkshire - including hundreds across Barnsley - were reported to the RSPCA last year.
In 2023, the RSPCA received 1,980 reports about cruelty to dogs in the county - compared to 1,831 in 2022.
Nationally, in 2023, the RSPCA received 52,662 reports about cruelty to dogs - around 144 a day - compared to 48,567 in 2022.
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the charity, said: “It is heartbreaking that more dogs need our help - we need to make a stand against this and say ‘no more’.
“Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, yet more and more dogs are being subjected to cruelty every year.
“We would love to see, next year, cruelty going down.
“We know we can’t do this alone - so our purpose is for everyone to work together to create a kinder world for animals.”
