Cruelty to dogs has risen so much since Covid began that the RSPCA is receiving 10 calls of abuse every hour.
Vile owners have beaten, stabbed, burned, drowned, starved and even poisoned their pets, inspectors found.
And the cost-of-living crisis could lead to more pups being harmed and abandoned, the charity fears.
In 2021, the RSPCA received 92,244 reports of dog cruelty – a 16% rise in one year.
Victims include French Bulldog Bruce, who was found burnt in a bush near a park in Preston, Lancs, and bulldog Daisy, who had many untreated fractures.
Watson the cockapoo was abandoned in a rucksack in Berkshire woodland.
And terrified puppy Chance, who has two deformed legs, was left to starve in a Liverpool park. Greater Manchester Animal Hospital corrected his limbs.
Luckily, all these dogs now have loving homes. But the RSPCA, which has launched a Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, says it received an average of 253 calls a day last year, up from 218 a day – or 79,513 overall – in 2020.
Dr Samantha Gaines, dog welfare expert, said the RSPCA was braced for more reports amid a huge increase in dog ownership since lockdown.
There are an estimated 13 million dogs in the UK – up from nine million in 2020.
Dr Gaines said: “The cost-of-living crisis has added a further dimension and we believe we could see people really struggling to care for their pets, which may lead them to lash out or could see more animals being abandoned.”
She added: “We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers... but in reality we receive many cruelty reports every day about dogs who have suffered the most unimaginable cruelty.”
