Britain saw a near 80 per cent rise in cases of animal neglect over the last year, prompting calls for tougher laws to tackle the problem.
Nearly 70,000 animals of the one million seen by inspectors from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) were not provided with basic care like food and shelter.
"These statistics are truly shocking and we must ask the government to take notice and act now", said Jackie Ballard, the RSPCA's director general.
Over a quarter of neglected pets did not have access to clean water, a 96 per cent rise over last year.
The RSPCA wants a change in the law to make it an offence to deprive pets of basic needs. "Day in day out, RSPCA inspectors have to stand by and see the death and deterioration of animals at risk before the current law will allow them to intervene," the charity said in a statement.
There are about 13 million pets in Britain with just over 50 per cent of households owning one.
The RSPCA said some of the most disturbing examples of neglect included a puppy whose ears had been cut off with a pair of scissors and three horses with hooves so overgrown they resembled rams' horns.
Both cases were prosecuted in 2004. The survey found dogs were the animals most at risk of neglect, with over 18,000 not receiving basic care.