Urgent RSPCA appeal after guinea pigs found dead on top of …
Three guinea pigs have been found dead in horrifying circumstances in a residential area in Ryhope, Sunderland[1], with the RSPCA[2] issuing an urgent appeal for information. The bodies of the animals were found on the top of a pizza box, on a field near Dinsdale Street on Sunday (30 July).
They were subsequently collected by a Pawz for Thought[3] volunteer the next day. An examination conducted by vets revealed that the animals were malnourished and had suffered crushed skulls. The presence of blood in the mouths and noses of two of them also indicates that they could have been alive at the time.
All three animals had been flattened – while one had no fur. It is unclear as to whether this particular guinea pig was hairless, or if it had been deliberately skinned.
The RSPCA has joined Pawz for Thought in appealing for anyone with information about the distressing incident to come forward urgently. RSPCA inspector Lucy Green, who collected the guinea pigs for examination, has been in touch with the local authority to request CCTV footage from the area, while making door to door enquiries.
She said: “It’s clear from their very distressing state that someone has deliberately harmed these little guinea pigs and they’ve suffered terrible injuries as a result. Their bodies had been squashed, which made the veterinary examination more difficult, but it does appear that all three were malnourished.
“We’d like to thank Pawz for Thought for their help, and to everyone who has heard about this incident and understandably expressed their shock and concern. It’s an extremely distressing case and someone out there must know who these pets belonged to.
“We’d urge people with first-hand information to contact our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.”
One of the guinea pigs was light brown in colour with a black and white head, although it wasn’t possible to establish the sex. The other was light and dark brown with some white markings on the head and believed to be female.
The hairless guinea pig meanwhile, is thought to have been male. The pizza box had been removed prior to the animals being collected, but the base was found by the inspector in a nearby hedge.
Figures released recently by the RSPCA revealed that the number of animals killed in ‘suspicious circumstances’ increased last year by 15 per cent, from 891 in 2022 compared to 775 in 2021. The charity sees a peak in intentional cruelty during the summer months in particular, with 1,081 beatings being reported in August 2022 – a staggering 35 a day.
That is why the RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty[5] campaign, in a bid to raise funds to help its frontline rescue teams continue to investigate cases of abuse to animals. Incidents of animals being abandoned are also increasing dramatically.
The latest figures show that 2,047 cases were reported to the RSPCA in June – the most of any month of the year so far. This compares to 1,527 in June last year – a rise of 34 per cent.
References
- ^ Sunderland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ RSPCA (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Pawz for Thought (www.pawzforthought.org)
- ^ Drunk pervert who repeatedly ‘patted’ woman on bum evicted from Newcastle home (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cancel Out Cruelty (www.rspca.org.uk)