THE RSPCA has launched a campaign to cut down on animal cruelty in Cornwall following an appalling year for acts of wanton cruelty.

Those convicted included David Reeves from Lanner who was convicted in June 2003 of dog fighting and causing unnecessary suffering to two of his dogs.

The RSPCA special operations unit and the police raided Reeves house in August 2001. They found a video of one of Reeves' dogs, Red, fighting a chained dog.

Also seized from the house were three "break sticks" used to force a dog's jaw apart after it had locked onto another dog or object, and an extract from the rules for fighting dogs.

A veterinary expert called in by the RSPCA, told the court that Red suffered about 26 recent and healed puncture wounds to his head an face, and another 23 to other parts of his body.

Reeves, 38, was found guilty at Truro magistrates court in May on five charges including causing unnecessary suffering and causing dogs to fight.

He was sentenced in June 2002 by a district judge who also banned him from keeping animals for five years and ordered to give up ownership of his pit bull-type dogs Red and Millie.

Although the RSPCA says it is was heartened to see a fall in numbers of cases prosecuted, prison sentences rose to 57 from the previous years 46. In 2002, one in every ten prosecutions involved a violent or brutal act on an animal.

Jonathan Silk, the RSPCA's South West regional manager said: "Every year we deal with cases that shock, and this year has been no exception. The downright neglect shown towards these defenceless creatures is something that will stay in the minds of our inspectors for a long time.

"Just because a cruelty case does not feature an act of violence or a deliberate attack on the animal, doesn't mean to say the creature suffers any less or the cruelty is any more acceptable.

Domestic and farm animals rely on us for health and well being. To take that support away from them condemns them to a slow and miserable decline."