Such cases illustrate the brutal reality that more desperately needs to be done to protect our furry best friends as the organisation struggles to deal with a rising number of calls for help. Today the RSPCA will launch a graphic new campaign, ONEbyONE, aimed at shocking Victorians out of complacency about animal cruelty. “Skittles' owner had come to the conclusion he could no longer afford to feed his dogs,” Dr Walker said. “He was there for at least three days before someone heard him crying. “There’s a problem and we want to show you. These are real cases.”

Skittles was found three days after he was shot and miraculously survived. Credit:RSPCA Victoria Daniel Bode has given Skittles a home and he said the eight-year-old had endured more in his life than most, yet still wanted love and attention. “He’s partially deaf and he has bullet fragments in his neck but otherwise he’s a normal dog,” Mr Bode said. “Sometimes when he’s having a sleep, he starts shaking. “He’s having what we believe are nightmares."

Skittles' former owner was convicted of aggravated cruelty, fined $7500 and banned from owning an animal for 10 years. Three other abused animals are featured in the campaign: Chloe the Staffordshire terrier, a mixed-breed puppy called Bronson and a horse named Marina. They didn't survive. Dr Walker said it was time people saw the stark reality of animal abuse in Victoria, which occurs in thousands of backyards and homes every year. RSPCA chief executive Dr Liz Walker with Skittles this week ahead of the campaign launch. Credit:Joe Armao Cases of cruelty have more than doubled across the state in the past decade to almost 18,000 in the 2016-17 financial year.

As part of the ONEbyONE appeal, shock tactics will replace the faces of cute and cuddly domesticated pets in the hope of pushing people to question why such mistreatment occurs. “The key drivers of animal cruelty are ignorance, apathy and inability and what comes with that is commercial gain," she said. "There is certainly cruelty going on for commercial gain ... intensive breeding operations for dogs and cats and horrible things like dog fighting, and it’s only growing. “It can be quite a tangled web and our major investigation unit’s focus in absolutely on puppy factories. “We’ve noticed over the past few years that the complexity of animal cruelty especially for commercial gain has grown.”

In December Victoria's Parliament introduced laws banning pet shops from selling puppies and limiting the number of dogs that breeders are allowed to keep. From April 2020 breeders will be able to keep a maximum of 50 fertile female dogs. Breeders with more than 10 female dogs will have to seek ministerial approval and will be subject to stricter regulations. "He’s been through so much, but he still trusts." Credit:Joe Armao Dr Walker said major changes had been put in place since a 2016 parliamentary inquiry called RSPCA Victoria’s inspectorate powers into question, particularly to improve transparency and relationships with other animal welfare groups. RSPCA management had welcomed the “much-needed” review, she said.

Dr Walker said the number of open cases of animal cruelty had since dropped from 1500 in 2016 to about 550 in 2017. During the 2016-17 financial year, though, the calls for help continued apace, with RSPCA Victoria receiving more than 10,000 animal cruelty reports. Caring for, seizing and rescuing animals, keeping inspectors on the road and undertaking prosecutions cost RSPCA Victoria more than $5.5 million last financial year. ONEbyONE aims to move the community to action and chip in $30 per person to help reduce the number of animal cruelty cases, which prompt almost 30 urgent calls for help to each day. The worst areas for cruelty reports in 2016-17 were Greater Geelong (584 reports), Casey (435) and the Yarra Ranges (412).

The annual report also shows the most common cases – about 27 per cent of offences – involved failure to provide enough water, food and shelter to animals. The RSPCA campaign follows recent exposes of animal cruelty including a 60 Minutes investigation into live sheep exports that showed animals dying in sweltering conditions on board ships en route from Australia to the Middle East. Loading In 2011 the ABC’S 4 Corners program broadcast graphic images that appalled the nation, depicting acts of violence by Indonesian abattoir workers against cattle transported from Australia. Dr Walker said research showed such graphic depictions stirred people into action and shocked them out of complacency.

“We do a great job, but we are stretched and we need help," she said.