Nearly one in four people (24%) in London have witnessed someone harming an animal online – according to shocking new data from the RSPCA, while reports to the charity about social media animal abuse are on course to hit a four-year high.

The shock new findings come as part of the RSPCA’s landmark Animal Kindness Index, published today (22 July) in partnership with the Scottish SPCA and USPCA.

The Index also reveals that, in London:
47% of households own a pet – compared to 52% across the UK
59% describe themselves as animal lovers – compared to 68% across the UK
83% believe animal welfare should be protected by governments through legislation – compared to 84% across the UK
64% are finding it more expensive to look after their pet – compared to 78% across the UK.
48% are worried about being able to afford vet bills – compared to 49% across the UK.
69% have taken action to help animals in the last 12 months – compared to 79% across the UK.
Actions taken to help animals across London include 27% who’ve fed the birds (v. 47% UK), 22% who’ve donated to animal charities (v. 31% UK), or bought a product from an animal charity, and 16% who’ve created a wildlife habitat (v. 28% UK).

But, across London and beyond, the animal welfare charity is particularly worried about the impact animal cruelty on social media is now having on young people – who are disproportionately seeing the content.
According to the Index, across the UK, more than four in ten (43%) 16 and 17-year-olds, and almost one third (32%) of Generation Z (18-24 year-olds), have witnessed cruelty towards animals online.

Since the start of 2020, 2,032 reports have been made to the RSPCA’s emergency line about animal abuse on social media – and the numbers in 2024 are on course to be the highest for four years.

The RSPCA now fears that – without action – widespread exposure on social media to animal abuse risks normalising such behaviour for young people who have grown up spending time online; potentially desensitising them to the horrors of animal cruelty. But the RSPCA’s efforts to instead inspire young people to support the animal welfare cause have been backed by online influencer Esme Higgs (pictured).

To tackle the crisis, the RSPCA is urging social media companies to do more to stamp animal abuse content out on their platforms – and to give its users the confidence to easily call out and report the mistreatment of animals online.

RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: “There’s a growing concern that the proliferation of animal abuse content online risks normalising animal harm, pain and suffering.

“Our lives have been transformed by the internet – but it poses some inherent risks too. We’re deeply concerned by the terrifyingly high numbers of young people now being exposed to images and videos of animal abuse.

“Social media companies must do more to protect young people from being exposed to this content – or we risk further fuelling an animal welfare crisis, at a time when the challenges facing animals are already among the greatest in the RSPCA’s 200-year history.

“Social media giants need to make it easy and obvious for people to report this horrible content, and must prioritise protecting its users from images and videos glorifying animal harm.”

Ofcom, regulators of a new Online Safety Act 2023, will soon consult on what social media companies need to do to deal with animal abuse on their channels – under this new legislation.

The new law recognises animal abuse as being harmful to children. It will require platforms to assess the risk of content depicting animal suffering, and to put in place measures to mitigate and manage the risks it can cause – but the RSPCA wants social media companies to go further.

Chris added: “It’s welcome that the new Online Safety Act recognises the dangers animal abuse content online poses to children, and to all people.

“It’s now vital that Ofcom publishes clear guidance for social media companies, meeting the expectations of the public when this Act was passed that it will deal with the risks animal abuse content poses to users.

“But, whatever the legal obligations, we also want to see social media companies going further – committing to stamping out all animal abuse content on their platforms, and empowering users to be able to quickly and easily report content that is gratuitously violent or harmful against animals.”