FOR a nation of supposed animal lovers, some members of our society can be incredibly cruel to pets and livestock.

The latest figures released by the RSPCA show West Yorkshire is second only to London in the number of cruelty cases it has investigated in the county, with a total of 8,440 complaints received by the charity.

And the Bradford district has sadly seen more than its fair share, with two of the worst cases in the county to go to prosecution highlighted in our report. They both involve sickening abuse of animals.

Whether it is unintentional neglect or wilful cruelty, the effect on the innocent animal is the same – unnecessary suffering.

More needs to be done to combat the problem, which continues to grow, and there is no doubt that better education will help with that.

It is vital that careful checks are done before people are allowed to take on pets, as these offences often stem from those responsible simply taking on more than they can afford or are prepared to handle.

And by teaching children the importance of taking responsibility at an early age – and the consequences of acting irresponsibly – it may be that the message begins to get though.

But there are also, sadly, those who deliberately set out to hurt innocent animals, and who are simply cruel for cruelty’s own sake.

When caught, they must be banned from ever being allowed to keep any kind of pet or livestock; and they must know that failing to adhere to such a ban would mean a long prison sentence.