Walking through the kennel area of the RSPCA's animal centre is a heart-breaking experience. The sound of 40 dogs howling is almost deafening.

These dogs at the charity's Blackberry Farm centre, at Quainton, Aylesbury, were crying out for love and you get the sense that the message in their eyes reads: "please take me home."

Many of them have suffered cruelty and neglect during their short lives. When they turned up at the centre they were frightened and disturbed. They come from all over the East Central region, which covers eight counties including Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Blackberry Farm is not just a rescue centre for dogs and cats. Other animals waiting to be found a home include rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, cockatiels and snakes.

The charity gives them all their bed and board at the centre, which was opened in 1997, until they are found a permanent home with a suitable owner. There is no danger that they will be put down after they have been at the centre for a certain period of time.

Vets make regular visits and the animals are also given any medical treatment they need before the long search for a suitable owner starts. They go through a rigorous assessment programme so the most suitable home can be found. Members of the public can turn up at the centre to visit and pick out an animal they want to adopt. They are closely questioned by the charity's volunteers and visited at home before they animal is allowed to leave the centre.

Animal care assistant Lisa Englefield, who works in the centre's cattery, says: "I have shed many tears during my time here you can't help but get personally involved with each animal.

"They are sometimes brought to us in an appalling state and each have their own story to tell.

"I often end up taking the waifs and strays home. I have got 12 cats at home now 11 of them from the centre. One of them has a heart complaint but he's as good as gold and I love him to bits. "We have to make sure that the animals go to the most suitable home possible."

The over-riding reason why many animals end up at the centre is human failure.

Many owners find they cannot or do not want to cope with the responsibility a pet brings, once the initial novelty has worn off.

Others who are finding life difficult end up taking their stresses and strains out on their animal, often releasing their frustration by being violent.

Last year the charity received a record number of calls for help, totalling 1,572,344 one every 20 seconds. Inspectors were called to investigate a large proportion of cases of animal cruelty inflicted by both young and adult offenders. Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University have been called in to investigate patterns of animal abuse among young people for the charity. They are also trying to identify the reasons why young people are cruel to animals.

The children, who are taking part in the project anonymously, have all abused animals in the past. They are being interviewed by the researchers as part of a six-month investigation.

John Hancock, RSPCA Regional Manager for the East Central region, said: "Attitudes to animals are formed in childhood.

"Very little is known about causes of cruelty and we are determined to seek an answer to why some people are still attacking and neglecting animals on such a scale. "This research will be central to the RSPCA's strategy of stamping out cruelty before it takes hold."

RSPCA officers have also organised an education programme in a bid to teach children about their responsibilities towards animals.

Officers regularly visit youngsters in schools across the region to teach the pupils about their work as part of the national curriculum.

Inevitably such education programmes will not eradicate animal abuse but even if it prevents one incident of cruelty then it will be worth it. Animal care assistant Sally Taylor says: "Working here makes me incredibly angry sometimes when you see what some people have done to their animals.

"It's hard to understand what would motivate someone to be cruel to an animal. At the end of the day we do all we can for them when they come here, and it's lovely to see them start a new phase in their lives when they leave here and go to a new home."