More than 1,200 animals were seized or surrendered on foot of investigations or calls to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) last year.
The charity’s annual inspection report published on Wednesday says some 16,211 calls were made to its national animal cruelty helpline in 2016, resulting in 3,273 investigations.
Nineteen new prosecutions were initiated and 21 cases were finalised in court.
The ISPCA said that since the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA) came into force just four years ago, the helpline had handled 69,211 calls and 14,338 investigations.
Some 4,045 animals have been seized or surrendered, 111 prosecutions have been initiated, with 46 of these having been finalised in court to date.
The organisation said that while it had been disappointed at some of the penalties imposed, last year had seen the first custodial sentences imposed for offences under the Act.
This included an 18-month sentence for cruelty offences in conjunction with a life-ban on keeping animals imposed on a man who had brutally killed his own dog, and a two-month custodial sentence imposed on a man who failed to seek appropriate veterinary treatment for a dog with severe injuries to its jaw.
The ISPCA said the increase in prosecutions was an indication that ISPCA inspectors were having an impact on identifying and dealing with animal cruelty, but that so much more could be done with sufficient resources.
It appealed for more funding to help fight animal cruelty across Ireland and to allow it reach the eight counties which currently do not have an inspector.
ISPCA chief executive Dr Andrew Kelly said: "Our inspectors have never been under so much pressure and although we recruited a part-time inspector in 2017 bringing the total number to nine, there are large parts of Ireland that our inspectors cannot reach."
Dr Kelly said the organisation’s resources were “now stretched to breaking point” and it needed more inspectors on the ground to deal with reports of animal cruelty.
“Our aim is to recruit enough inspectors to cover the whole of the country and we are appealing to the Government and the animal-loving public to help us with this work,” he said.
“It costs more than €50,000 to keep an inspector on the road including vehicle costs, veterinary costs, uniform and equipment, administrative support and salary. With 88 per cent of our funding received from members of the public and through gifts in wills, the ISPCA relies heavily on public support to continue our vital work preventing animal cruelty and alleviating animal suffering.”
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, who launched the inspectorate report on behalf of the ISPCA said the organisation was at the forefront of preventing cruelty to animals.
He said cases outlined in the report highlighted the “remarkable work being carried out by the ISPCA”.
“We encourage members of the public to report any suspected animal cruelty so that those responsible for cruelty can be held accountable under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. My department looks forward to continuing engagement with the ISPCA to ensure that all animals are protected,” the Minister added.
ISPCA inspectors became authorised officers under the AHWA in May 2014 and since then have used their statutory powers to deal with animal neglect, cruelty and abuse.
Although the organisation said it would like to see stronger penalties for animal cruelty to act as a deterrent, it would also like to get the message across that all animal owners and anyone who looks after animals has a legal obligation to provide them with their welfare needs.
It said failure to do so would result in people being held to account.
“The ISPCA will not tolerate animal cruelty and will do all that we can to stamp it out in Ireland.”