The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) is warning that the scale of animal abuse content circulating online is shocking, and it has urged the Scottish Government to urgently update the Animal Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to protect animals from modern forms of cruelty.
As online animal abuse continues to spread across social media platforms, current legislation is failing to keep pace with emerging trends – including the sharing of abuse footage and the online trade of animals.
Between 2024 and 2025, more than 1,400 individual images and videos depicting animal abuse were reported by clients to the online safety charity South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL). While 5% of cases reported to SWGfL in 2025 involved animal cruelty, the charity warned a single report often involved multiple separate images or videos, meaning the true volume of harmful content is far greater.
Further evidence of the problem comes from the 2025 Animal Kindness Index, produced by the RSPCA, Scottish SPCA and USPCA, which found that one in five adults in Scotland have witnessed animal cruelty online.
The survey also revealed that 31% of children in Scotland believe sharing animal cruelty online is becoming more common, with abuse content frequently appearing on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
While the UK’s Online Safety Act marked a significant step forward in tackling the spread of this heartless material, the Scottish SPCA has warned that many cases continue to slip through the cracks, leaving animals at risk.
Nicola Strachan, head of advocacy & strategic partnerships at The Scottish SPCA, said: “Online cruelty is not victimless, it causes real, often extreme suffering to animals and can have a deeply damaging impact on those who see it, particularly children. Animal abuse content is being created and shared at an alarming scale, yet Scotland’s animal welfare laws have not kept pace with how cruelty occurs in the digital age.
“If we are serious about protecting animals in today’s digital world, the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act must be reviewed so it can effectively address online-enabled cruelty and give enforcement agencies the tools they need to act.”
