10 MARCH 2010
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MURRAY “SICKENED” BY INCREASE IN ANIMAL CRUELTY

Dumfries MSP and Scottish Labour’s Environment Spokesman Elaine Murray has said she is “outraged and sickened” by figures released by the Scottish SPCA showing that 2009 was the worst year for animal cruelty in recent memory.

Cases of appalling cruelty across Scotland included a dog being shot in the head, a dog burned to death and a newborn foal slashed.

The SPCA attended 42,500 incidents in 2009, up by 4,000 from the previous year. In 2009 there was an increase of 16% in calls to their helpline from the previous twelve months, with 146,000 being received.

Elaine Murray MSP said: “I am outraged and sickened by some of the appalling cases of animal cruelty dealt with by the SPCA over the last year.

“Some of these attacks on animals are unimaginably brutal and as a nation of animal lovers I’m sure the public will be upset and angry.

“My only small sliver of hope is that some of the increase in the figures is due to more people reporting these crimes.

“We need to work together in our communities with charities like the SPCA as well as the police to stop animals suffering at the hands of malicious and heartless people.”

ENDS

CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856

NOTES TO EDITOR

Scottish SPCA figures can be found here: http://www.scottishspca.org/news/335_2009-worst-year-in-recent-memory