RSPCA inspectors probed almost 1,800 animal abuse reports in Wiltshire last year – the equivalent of five calls a day.

They included a man banned for life from keeping animals after killing one dog and abusing another, and a Pinehurst snake feared to have frozen to death.

The number of reports from members of the public were up slightly from 2016, when RSPCA inspectors were called over 1,704 complaints.

John Atkinson, a RSPCA inspector in Wiltshire, said: “Animals should be treated with kindness and compassion. There is never a reason, or excuse, for cruelty.

“Sadly, there has been a rise in the number of complaints about animal cruelty in Wiltshire during 2017 with around five calls each day from members of the public who have concerns about the treatment of an animal.”

The shocking cases investigated by the RSPCA this year include:

  • Dog-killer James Cooper, 23, of Greenmeadow, pleaded guilty to subjecting two whippets to a torrent of abuse. He admitted killing six-year-old Millie, months after he hit another family dog – called Tinkerbelle. At the time, the RSPCA’s John Atkinson said: “we are shocked at how such a thing could happen to two family pets.”
  • In January, a pair of boa constrictors were found dumped near garages on Pinehurst Road. The snakes – each around six foot in length – were discovered cuddled together. RSPCA inspector Steph Daly said: “We’re very concerned they suffered prior to their death.
  • Inspectors issued a warning about illegal snare traps, following reports of a cat getting caught in a snare in Chiseldon.

On a lighter note, RSPCA inspectors also worked with firefighters to free a cat trapped in the roof of a Royal Wootton Bassett home and a pair of Jackdaws stuck down a Baydon chimney.