Coast animal cruelty hot spots revealed

More than 200 animal cruelty cases were reported across the Sunshine Coast last year.

The RSPCA's 2020 report revealed 253 cases were recorded in 13 suburbs in the region.

Maroochydore recorded the highest amount with 65 cases investigated, Beerwah recorded 24 cruelty complaints with 19 complaints in Coolum Beach.

The animal welfare group however, said it is encouraging to note that a total of 1535 fewer cruelty complaints were reported statewide, than in 2019.

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said the results offered a "glimmer of hope."

"The results were slightly down, how much of that has to do with the fact that more people were actually at home and weren't travelling for work," he said.

"While they are listed as cruelty complaints, by far the vast number of them are neglect cases where animals have been left in the sun or haven't been fed adequately."

The RSPCA said many of their investigations lead to prosecution and in 2020, a total of 143 cruelty cases were finalised.

"In a lot of cases we don't actually want to take somebody to court, what we want to do is get a prohibition order but the way the law stands at the moment, you can't get an order that stops them from owning an animal for a period of time unless you take somebody to court," Mr Beatty said.

"That's an expensive exercise and in the vast majority of the cases the fines never get paid anyway.

"It's an enormous drain on our resources and finance to have to take someone to court when really all we need is a prohibition order that will stop them having animals which they aren't fit to care for."

The top cruelty complaints received included the following issues: