Hepburn Shire has been ranked 39 out of 79 local council areas for cases of animal cruelty, according to a report by the RSCPA.
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Of the 11,840 cases received across Victoria for 2015-16, 108 concerned cases of animal welfare in Hepburn Shire.
Of those 108 cases, 34 related to dogs and two to puppies, 13 related to cats or kittens, and 29 were about horses.
Issues included 36 cases concerning hygiene, grooming and housing conditions, 36 reports of underweight animals, 19 reports of sick and injured animals not receiving treatment, 37 reports of animals with insufficient food and 28 with not enough water, six cases of abandoned animals and five reports of animals that were beaten or wounded.
RSPCA CEO Liz Walker said the data would help the organisation target its help where it was most needed.
“RSPCA’s vision is ending cruelty to all animals – and we know that prevention is the key to ending cruelty,” Dr Walker said.
“Even one cruelty issue is too many, yet the number of reports we receive is steadily increasing every year.
“We know that the community is becoming more concerned about animal welfare – which may be part of the reason for the continued rise in report numbers.”
