Animal Cruelty

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004255/Z

Version Date: 27/02/2026

The Performance Analysis Department has provided the following information:

We searched the Niche Crime Universe for HO codes relating to animal harm and abuse.

please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025:

The total number of reports received by your force relating to animal cruelty.

The total number of animal cruelty cases investigated by your force.

The creation of a Niche Occurrence is an indication that the event was investigated to an extent, because of this, values are the same as the question above.

Of those investigations, the number of cases where your force worked jointly with the RSPCA or other animal welfare organisations.

Please note: This is hard to determine, we have carried out a keyword search for “RSPCA” in the OELs of the occurrences returned above and reviewed the 38/148 occurrences that mention the RSPCA. The table shows whether or not the RSPCA had invovlement in the case, the manner of the involvement and the level in which they investigated is not routinely stated.

If possible, please provide the figures broken down by calendar year.

Clarification: To clarify, I would like my request to focus on animal cruelty cases investigated by your force, rather than reports or incidents only.

I am content for the Performance Analysis Department to complete the searches using animal-cruelty-related HO codes within Niche Crime for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025, with the figures broken down by calendar year where possible.

This should include:

the total number of animal cruelty cases investigated, and

of those investigations, the number of cases where your force worked jointly with the RSPCA or other animal welfare organisations.