Animal cruelty in Tauranga is being described as a ‘major problem' by PETA, who say local vets have had to euthanise hedgehogs and birds attacked by children.

PETA Australia associate director Ashley Fruno says last year the Tauranga SPCA reported 431 complaints, over half of which involved cruelty to dogs.

Earlier this year, a six-week-old puppy called Skip was dumped in a clothing bin, severely underweight, dehydrated and suffering from a skin condition.

Those responsible have not been found.

Ashley says because animals cannot report abuse or fight back, they're often used as ‘practice victims' by those inclined towards violence.

'Research in psychology and criminology shows people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often go on to commit violent acts against their fellow humans. A study by Dr John Clarke, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Sydney and consultant to the New South Wales Police Force, used police data to demonstrate 61.5 per cent of convicted animal abuse offenders had also committed an assault, and 17 per cent were guilty of sexual abuse.

'Most disturbingly, animal abuse was a better predictor of sexual assault than previous convictions for homicide, arson, or firearms offences. Only one per cent of cruelty-to-animals offenders had no other convictions at all.”

Tauranga SPCA operations manager Margaret Rawiri says animal cruelty is a serious societal issue in Tauranga and across all of New Zealand.

'We have many improvements we need to make in this area. What the SPCA is noticing though is more people speaking out and being aware of what is not acceptable for pets.

'We have an education programme for New Zealand primary and intermediate schools, and many in Tauranga are using this. SPCA Education gives teachers resources to use in the classroom that teach normal curriculum lessons such as maths and English that weave in messages about animal care and animal welfare.

'For example, children can learn mathematics by calculating the costs of owning a pet, or write a persuasive speech on why pets should be desexed. We believe teaching the future generation of New Zealanders how to care for and respect animals will go a long way to address our rates of animal cruelty.”

In January, a tern chick was killed in its nest on the Hairini Bridge when a rock was deliberately thrown at it, while in October 2016, a pet lamb was kicked to death by a boy at a local school's calf club event.

If you see or suspect animal cruelty, contact the Tauranga SPCA on 07 578 0245.