THE North-East's appalling reputation for animal cruelty has worsened in the past year, figures show.

Reports of abandoned animals in the region are up 15 per cent on last year, according to the RSPCA.

The figures make depressing reading, but are perhaps not surprising given the number of animal cruelty cases the media has reported on in the past six months.

So far this year, the charity has received 6,387 calls about animal abandonment, including 258 so far this month. These figures compare with 5,527 over the same period last year.

Over the past 12 months, there have been countless cases of animal cruelty in the region.

One particularly shocking example was the discovery of 264 emaciated animal carcasses found in two rented sheds at Low Goosepool Farm, near Middleton St George, near Darlington, last month.

RSPCA inspectors removed dead mice, rabbits and guinea pigs after one of the people who runs the farm made the discovery and raised the alarm.

The RSPCA launched an investigation into the incident, which is still ongoing. It is believed the sheds were rented to a third party.

Another case involved a dog that was almost starved to death by its owners in Hartlepool. The dog lost a third of its body weight, was blind because of untreated cataracts and had ingrowing claws.

Its owners were banned from keeping animals for six years after a successful prosecution by the RSPCA.

Other cases that have shocked the region included a puppy that was boiled alive, a dog left to fend for itself for six weeks when it was no longer wanted by its owner, thugs who slashed a horse to the bone and a gang of youths who tried to tie a firework to a puppy.

RSPCA official Dave Millard said: "There is nothing festive about these figures. We claim to be animal-lovers but still, year on year, more and more pets are dumped, potentially to die.

"Out with the old and in with the new is a pertinent phrase at this time of year, but we are begging people not to apply it to their pets."