Secret horrors of lockdown animal abuse as cats are skewered on barbecues and puppies are abandoned on deserted streets

RIDDLED with fleas, stuffed in a dirty cardboard box and left in an alleyway to die at just three weeks old - this was the fate of five kittens abandoned during lockdown.

With millions of Brits bunkered down indoors, whoever left them would have known their desperate mews for help would only sound to empty streets, but they heartlessly dumped them anyway.

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Miraculously, the helpless pets were rescued by the RSPCA and are now recovering, but regular cases of shocking animal cruelty and neglect are still all too frequent in lockdown - with the majority at risk of going unnoticed.

Since the government restrictions began, RSPCA rescuers have so far dealt with 42,685 incidents of animal cruelty, neglect and suffering.

Its cruelty hotline has received 2,443 reports of abandonment - an average of 39 incidents a day.

As they're only able to currently deal with emergencies, the animal charity fears the reports they're receiving are just the tip of the iceberg, with people less likely to see or report animal abuse in the current climate.

Workers facing money troubles after being furloughed or axed from jobs have also sparked concerns pets could be abandoned as households struggle to pay the bills.

With routine operations like neutering on hold, there's likely to be an influx in unwanted litters and the number of animals in rescue care is expected to increase after lockdown.

Here, Sun Online speaks to the key workers responsible for rescuing distressed and neglected animals, and takes a closer look at the abuse happening during lockdown.

Cats barbecued and swans shot in the head

Sickeningly, in one of the worst cases since shutdown, last month a tortured cat was found skewered, burned and lying dead on a disposable barbecue in Doncaster.

The animal was so badly burned it was impossible to tell what colour its fur was.

The woman who found the remains and reported the incident to the RSPCA said: "At first, I thought it was some sort of stuffed toy, but when I got closer, I realised it wasn’t.

“It was absolutely horrific. The look on its poor little face suggested it must have been tortured and died in agony."

In another violent attack, a nesting swan was shot in the face with an air rifle - one of five shocking attacks in a ten day period leaving four swans injured and one dead.

The bird was targeted in Thatcham, Berkshire, while tending to her unhatched eggs, and needed an operation to remove the 8mm pellet.

With less park workers and members of the public around to witness such horrors, these creatures are left defenceless against vile attackers.

'We don't know what's going on behind closed doors' 

Even more worryingly, the public was recently warned to be wary about animal abuse after a spike in domestic violence during lockdown.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals highlighted the “strong link” between violence against humans and the abuse of animals in households, and urged people to get in touch if they become aware of animals in danger.

“We’re trying to focus on the most serious incidents currently, but I’m more worried about what will happen when we come out of [lockdown] - about what the impact will be on animal welfare issues that we aren’t yet aware of," he explains.

"My concern is also that people take on an animal during lockdown, such as a dog, and then once it’s back to 'normal' it could be an inconvenience and they will look to abandon them as they haven’t thought through the lifelong commitment

“We’ve also seen it in the past when we’ve had periods of recession when people can’t afford food or veterinary treatment.

'The first thing they can do is find a new home for the animal, if they’re responsible, or turn them out. It's not the best time to introduce a dog to the house either."

Let's hope at the very least, most new pet owners realise a dog is for life - not just for lockdown.