The RSPCA has answered almost one million calls since the start of lockdown one year ago, and officers across the South West have dealt with a total of 13,506 incidents.

The charity has had to adapt the way it works to comply with lockdown rules and social distancing but has continued to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals during the pandemic. One year on, the RSPCA is looking back on some of the amazing achievements, despite challenging times.

Chief executive Chris Sherwood said: "The last year has been incredibly difficult for individuals, for families, for businesses, for charities and for animals. But I'm incredibly proud of the work the RSPCA has managed to do during this challenging year.

"We've had to adapt how we work, change our procedures, review our practices, and all while we continue our vital everyday work rescuing, rehabilitating, rehoming and releasing animals, and investigating animal cruelty."

Across England and Wales, the charity received 958,352 calls* to the hotline; dealt with 253,714 urgent incidents; and took 23,228 animals into care at our national centres, hospitals and private boarding partners.

How the counties compare

The charity's inspectors and animal rescue officers were designated key workers and continued to respond to emergencies and urgent calls, as well as rescuing animals in need. Across the South West, inspectors and animal rescue officers dealt with:

Somerset - 2,312 incidents;

Devon - 3,072 incidents;

Cornwall - 1,524 incidents;

Dorset - 1,824 incidents;

Wiltshire - 1,291 incidents;

Gloucestershire - 1,723 incidents;

Worcestershire - 1,411 incidents;

Herefordshire - 349 incidents.

Rescues included:

Rescuing seven goldfish and a koi carp found out of water and dumped on a verge in Devon on 16 January 2021;

Investigating the death of a puppy found dumped in a gateway in Somerset in August 2020;

Rescuing a badger cub who'd tumbled 30ft into a garden in Cornwall in April 2020;

Collecting and caring for a cockerel found abandoned in a layby in Dorset on 17 November 2020;

The society has had to adapt its ways of working in order to adhere with the Government's ever-changing guidance including changing the way it rehomed. In order to adhere to social distancing and avoid unnecessary travel, the charity has been virtually rehoming and delivering pets to their new homes, with thousands of animals going off to new homes and foster families since 23 March.

RSPCA welcomes bigger changes

The RSPCA celebrated a number of victories during lockdown including the Agriculture Bill which received Royal Assent in November 2020 meaning farmers will receive payments for higher welfare standards, and statutory footing of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, ensuring independent animal welfare advice is central to future trade policies.

The RSPCA's campaigns and public affairs teams also celebrated the Government's commitments to implement a ban on the private keeping of primates and compulsory microchipping of cats. After years of lobbying, the UK and Welsh governments proposed ending live animal exports for slaughter, the use of wild animals in circuses was banned in Wales, and a ban on third-party sales of puppies and kittens came into force in England in April 2020.

The charity has also seen big changes to fundraising. With the London Marathon cancelled and the RSPCA's annual One Fun Day shelved, the charity's events team decided to host a virtual event with animal-themed online sessions and the worlds' first ever live Zoom pet show. The team is now planning another home pet show on 19 June 2021. Find out how to get involved at www.rspca.org.uk/onefunday.

Chris added: "Over the past 12 months we've demonstrated our commitment to animals and shown that, despite the hardships we face, we will always be there for the animals who need us. But the pandemic has hit us hard; we've had to change how we work, suspend door-to-door fundraising and cancel fundraising events.

"The charity sector has been hit hard by the pandemic so we're asking the public to get behind us, to donate, and to help us continue our vital work; together we can make this a better world for animals."

To donate to the RSPCA you can click HERE the RSPCA site