THE RSPCA, celebrating its 200th birthday, has requested Hampshire residents join a million-strong movement for animals' welfare.

In its birthday week last year, across the 12-18 June, the charity received an unbelievable 31,947 calls to its emergency line - its busiest week - a pattern expected to repeat this year.

Meantime, the charity's rescuers handled 5,573 separate incidents in that week, as frontline teams responded to numerous cases of cruelty, neglect and mistreatment towards pets, wild and other animals.

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Hampshire saw a total of 179 incidents in that single week and comes to a total of 7,986 separate incidents throughout 2023.

Already, up to May 27, the charity's emergency line received a whopping 330,415 calls while animal rescuers dealt with 116,512 incidents of concern from across England and Wales, even before the busiest summer months began.

In Hampshire, the team at RSPCA Stubbington Ark is hoping to rehome a five-year-old dog called Big Moose, who's been waiting for a new family since July 2022.

SEE ALSO: Have you found rats in your house or garden? What to do if you see rodentsBig MooseBig Moose (Image: Supplied) More information about Big Moose can be found online or by contacting Stubbington Ark. The charity now urges people to join a million-strong movement as animals face some unprecedented challenges.

The RSPCA, founded on June 16, 1824, has, over the past 200 years, consistently worked with the public to change industries, laws, perspectives, and improve animal lives.

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: "Our dedicated rescue teams are so busy on the frontline for animals, and - as we celebrate our landmark 200th anniversary this week - we're expecting to be as busy as ever.

"But we know we can't do this alone - and the support of our friends in the animal welfare sector, and the public, is set to be more important than ever as we all look to work together to create a kinder, better world for all animals.

"To keep creating a better world for every animal, we need more people to take action. That’s why, in our 200th year, we want one million people to join our movement - and to share in our vision for every kind."