This week sees the launch of the RSPCA's big major charity fundraising push for 2012. For a country that has a reputation as being full of as animal lovers, the number of people convicted of cruelty and neglect to animals rose by nearly a quarter last year, according to figures announced by the RSPCA.

The RSPCA sent us some shocking footage of atrocious animal cruelty. The scenes you will see are all real life situations and animals that they rescued. Many sadly, reached, too late to help. Please look away now, the scenes are extremely disturbing.

In this clip two dogs were found in a flat in Tyne and Wear in June 2011. 'Lilly' was extremely underweight yet still wanted human interaction. The other dog, a bullmastiff type was dead in the door way and had no skin or flesh left on his head – Lilly had been forced to eat the carcase to stay alive. The room was in absolute tip and had no food or water for the dogs.

Here a man who was caught deliberately kicking his dog on camera, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison and banned from keeping animals for five years in January 2011. The man from Welling was filmed kicking his dog, Thumper, and pulling him into the air by his lead whilst walking him in Knee Hill in Woolwich.

And it isn't just domestic animal cruelty cases that the RSPCA deals with; there has been a big rise in cases involving farm animals. Last year there were 230 convictions relating to horse abuse.

A number of animals were removed from a farm property in Tamworth by police in May 2011 who were in an "emaciated and unkempt condition", namely one horse, two donkeys, two cows and two pigs. One of the cow's back's was so emaciated it was completely skeletal. The owner later pleaded guilty to a number of charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

The RSPCA's work is entirely funded by public donations. Each of the 1.3 million calls received by the RSPCA in 2011 cost an average of £3.55 to answer, or £5.50 if direct follow up action was required. It cost £15 per day to feed, house and provide medical attention for just one of the 7,762 dogs the RSPCA cared for in 2011.

If you would like to find out how you can help the RSPCA, go to www.rspcaweek.org and find out more.