Animal cruelty cases rise by 50%

Bumper needed the whole leg amputated, but recovered wellAnimal cruelty convictions rose by more than 50% in Wales last year, the RSPCA has said.
The increase reflected a "worrying" rise in the number of people prepared to treat pets with "brute force instead of compassion", said the charity.
RSPCA Wales inspectors described 2005 as one of the worst years of deliberate cruelty to animals they had witnessed.
The report came as police began a hunt for whoever put a cat in a bin in the sun on Anglesey, and left it to die.
RSCPA Wales said the cruelty cases it has dealt with during 2005 included a dog whose leg was amputated at home and another who was stabbed repeatedly by her owner.
The charity's annual report shows the number of people they prosecuted for animal cruelty rose by 60% over that period.
The cases included Griffith Prosser, 35, from Aberfan, who amputated the front leg of Bumper, a collie cross, with an electric knife after the dog was knocked down by a car.
Prosser was banned from owning a dog for 10 years.

Buffy recovered after being attacked by her owner
Another case involved Buffy, a four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross, who was stabbed extensively in her rear, head and legs by her 20-year-old owner.
The man later told police he had been taking recreational drugs and drinking heavily and could not remember attacking Buffy and another dog, 19-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier, Cassie.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering and was sentenced to six months in prison and disqualified from owning any animal for 10 years.
Meanwhile, hours after the report was published, police at Llanfachraeth, Anglesey, launched an investigation to find the person who shut a cat in a wheelie bin during the hot weather.

Buffy is 'brilliant' with people, says new owner Matthew Harding
The cat, Jiffy, died ten minutes after she was found hot and distressed by her owner. It is believed Jiffy had been shut in the bin for several hours.
Yet neglect was still the most common cause behind the majority of animal welfare cases in Wales, said the RSPCA.
Inspectors were called to 352 incidents where animals had no access to water, 298 where animals did not have suitable veterinary treatment and 357 where animals did not have a clean living environment.
'Compassion'
Martyn Hubbard, RSPCA Superintendent for Wales and West, 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.
"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 up and down the country.
"The pleasure these animals give their new owners shows that the vast majority of people appreciate the important part a pet plays in the family."

Source: BBC