FLYING pigs, moorhens acting strangely' and depressed fish are amongst more than a million calls dealt with by the RSPCA this year.

While calls such as these may raise a few laughs they also, whether hoaxes or genuine mistakes, take up valuable time that could be spent dealing with real animal emergencies and the charity is appealing to people to ensure their calls are valid before they pick up the phone.

RSPCA director of animal welfare and promotion, John Rolls, said: "The society relies on the public to be our eyes and ears by reporting cruelty. The fact that so many people call the RSPCA reaffirms that we are a nation of animal lovers who aren't afraid to report cruelty or neglect.

"The RSPCA would like to ask the public to make certain when calling that their concerns are valid. Whilst we realise that many calls received can turn out to be genuine mistakes, every years inspectors and animal collection officers are delayed responding to cruelty complaints because they have been sent to a hoax call out."

Some of the more unusual requests received include: Can you come and get a fly off a web?

Can you send an officer to bring my litter tray in?

Can you come and get a spider out of my Dyson?

I want to cancel the call - the pig has flown away.

There is a frog in my pond that has swallowed a golf ball.

One caller reported a radioactive squirrel, which turned out to be an albino and an elderly lady reported hearing the noises of an animal trapped in the loft of her home, which was in fact a low battery in a smoke alarm.