THE Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has reported a significant increase in both the number and severity of animal cruelty cases over the past year.
SPCA clinic and shelter manager Shaneel Narayan said the organisation had seen a disturbing escalation in the violence inflicted on animals.
“Not only have cruelty cases increased, but the severity of the acts committed has also intensified,” Mr Narayan said.
“We are dealing with increasingly alarming cases, including animals being chopped with knives, scalded with hot water, suffering chemical burns, and having chains embedded into their skin due to prolonged neglect.”
He said the ongoing dog population problem extended beyond stray animals, with owned dogs that were allowed to roam freely contributing significantly to community issues.
“A large number of dog bite incidents, dogs accessing rubbish, fighting, and uncontrolled breeding are caused by owned pets that are not properly contained.”
He stressed that responsible pet ownership was essential to creating safer communities for both people and animals. To address these challenges, the SPCA continued to operate desexing, education, and awareness programs.
“Our free desexing clinics assist pet owners who cannot afford standard fees, ensuring that financial hardship does not become a barrier to responsible ownership.”
Mr Narayan said they also ran school programs and attended community events to encourage long-term behavioural change, with early signs of progress already evident in some areas.
“We have seen a reduction in the number of unwanted litter being dumped or surrendered to the shelter.”
However, Mr Narayan noted that limited funding and grant support remained major obstacles, with little long-term commitment from key stakeholders involved in dog population management.
“Current approaches are often short-term fixes rather than sustainable, long-term solutions, which slows meaningful progress.”
Mr Narayan has urged members of the public to speak out and take action against animal cruelty.
