PET cruelty is on the rise locally according to the latest figures from the RSPCA.
Inspectors say shameful animal cruelty cases - which include an attack on a pet rabbit that had to be put down after its back was broken in two places and a kitten that died after being microwaved by its owner - are on the rise.
In recent months a cockapoo type dog was found in Wombwell with a horrific gaping wound to its neck and just last month a horse had to be put to sleep after being stabbed in the stomach in a field in Hoyland.
The RSPCA's chief veterinary officer James Yeates said: "Most of the complaints we receive involve animals being neglected or not receiving the right care and often we can put that right by offering welfare advice," he said.
"However, it is shocking that people are still being deliberately cruel in what can be disturbingly inventive ways."
