A new animated film by the RSPCA has been watched tens of thousands of times within 72 hours of its release and is set to be broadcast on television screens nationwide.

'No Animal Deserves Cruelty', released July, 4, aims to raise awareness about animal cruelty. It supports the RSPCA's 'No Animal Deserves Cruelty Appeal' by encouraging donations during the peak summer months, as the charity anticipates responding to more cruelty cases than any other time of the year.

Since last year, the charity received an average of 285 reports of animal cruelty daily during this period. The charity's efforts are seen as essential in addressing these challenges and promoting animal welfare nationwide.

The 30-second film depicting a young dog without food or water being rescued by an RSPCA officer has received positive attention, with more than 70,000 views on the RSPCA's YouTube channel since its upload. A shorter 15-second clip of the film has proven even more popular, generating over 525,000 views on YouTube within just ten days. 

Karen Colman, head of the RSPCA welfare oversight team, said: “In summer, we receive more reports of cruelty than at any other time of year - and our inspectorate officers are braced for another very challenging period ahead. “This powerful new film highlights perfectly what our officers are doing on the frontline every single day. Since the animation went live, we’ve been really heartened by the tens of thousands of people who've watched it and shown their support.

“No animal deserves heartbreaking abuse. Animals are like us: they feel desperation, confusion and terror - but I am immensely thankful that our dedicated officers are on the frontline each and every day rescuing animals from such scenes of deliberate cruelty, neglect and mistreatment.

 “But we can’t do this alone. That’s why we’ve launched our summer cruelty appeal, because it’s vital that we all take action together to keep reaching even more animals this summer.”

Supporters of the charity can catch the new film on social media - including on YouTube and the Nextdoor social platform. It will also be running across ITVX and Channel 4's on demand platforms until the end of August.

More information on the RSPCA’s No Animal Deserves Cruelty Appeal can be found on the charity's website.

To report animal cruelty or neglect please visit www.rspca.org.uk/reportcruelty for further information.