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Caerphilly County Borough has been named as the place with the most number of dog fights reported to the RSPCA, figures from the animal welfare charity have revealed.

Since 2019, there have been 55 reports to the RSPCA connected to dog fighting in Wales – with nine of these being in the Caerphilly local authority area.

The figures have been released by as part of the charity’s Cancel Out Our Cruelty Campaign which launched at the start of the month.

RSPCA dog fighting expert and Special Operations Unit (SOU) chief inspector for Wales, Ian Muttitt, said: “Sadly we are back seeing pre-pandemic levels of dog fighting incidents.

“Across England and Wales we were seeing an average of 19 incidents investigated every month in 2019 and that has risen to a shocking 31 a month so far this year. While last year in Wales there was a notable increase in dog fighting incidents.

“It’s staggering that something which has been illegal for almost 200 years which most people would consider consigned to history is still so rife.”

In total the RSPCA’s SOU have investigated 1,156 incidents of dog fighting across England and Wales since 2019. London has been revealed as the worst hotspot for dog fighting with 91 incidents, Greater Manchester (82 investigations), West Yorkshire (69 investigations) and the West Midlands (59 incidents), and Lancashire (56) following closely behind.

Wales as a whole would appear next in this list with 55 incidents.

In Wales, Caerphilly has the most of these with nine, followed by Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taf with six. The figures only show incidents that have been reported and dealt with.

Ian added: “The dog fighting world is a dark and secretive place. It could be happening in an inner-city warehouse next door to your office or on a rural farm in your quiet village.

“Signs of dog fighting can vary but if you notice a dog with lots of scars on its face, front legs, hind legs and thighs, or with puncture wounds and mangled ears – this could be a sign of dog fighting and should be reported to the RSPCA or the police. Other suspicious activity includes dogs being hidden away in outbuildings or kennels of sight and not excercised in public.

“Dogs who win fights are prized but those who refuse to fight or lose are often abandoned or killed.

“Overall dog fighting in England and Wales has increased since 2019, jumping from a total number of 232 incidents investigated by the RSPCA in 2019 to 355 in 2022. We have dealt with 155 incidents this year, but we are only six months into the year, so we are concerned we will see this number steadily rise.”

The RSPCA are urging the public to be their eyes and ears and to report anything suspicious to them.