RSPCA: Animal Cruelty Cases Up In Wales

18 June 2014, 17:42 | Updated: 18 June 2014, 17:45

The RSPCA says it's under massive pressure because of a rise in the number of animal cruelty cases in Wales.

The charity says it's seen the a 14% increase between 2012 and 2013.

The number of people being cautioned has also increased by 50 percent in the last year and convictions for cruelty offences are up by a fifth.

Elaine Spence is the charity's Chief Inspector. She explained what could be behind the rise in cruelty cases: "I think there's a number of different factors here, one of them could be financial - which I think everyone is feeling these days.

"It's a difficult financial climate and animals do cost money."

She says the RSPCA has had to deal with some shocking cases over the last year: "A couple from Pembrokeshire left dogs to become emaciated. In fact, one of them was so emaciatated it weighed the size of a cat and these were large dogs."