Ambitions
We have made important progress towards the ambitions set out in our 2021 strategy. The goal to end the illegal selling of puppies and kittens in the UK took a significant step forward in 2021 with new animal licensing regulations in Wales, bringing it into line with England.
Sadly, the proposed Puppy Imports bill, which would have banned the import of dogs aged under six months, failed to pass before the 2024 General Election but we continue to campaign to end this cruel trade.
We succeeded in boosting animal protection in the UK with the introduction of the Animal Sentience Committee in 2022, which has the power to consider how any UK government policy impacts animal welfare. In the same year, we achieved the passage of the groundbreaking Animal Welfare – Environment – Sustainable Development Nexus Resolution, which is the first step towards a UN Declaration or Convention for Animal Welfare. Our bid to achieve statutory powers for our frontline rescue teams, which would allow us to reach animals in need more quickly, also moved a step closer with many in the Welsh Senedd showing support for it. We have already been granted temporary powers for our inspectors at significant events such as Appleby Horse Fair.
Our million-strong movement for animals launched in 2024, with more than 960,000 people joining us to support animal welfare.
We want to make sure our ambitions are addressing the biggest challenges facing animals now and are ambitious enough to achieve the change we want for all animals. We have updated our ambitions to reflect our progress and to ensure they are bold statements of intent which reflect the societal change we want to see. The next step will be building our impact framework so we can measure our progress towards these goals.
We want to address the commodification of animals that prioritises looks over welfare by ending extreme breeding. We recognise that low welfare farming is the single biggest welfare issue for animals here and around the world, and acknowledge that only a significant reduction in the animal products we consume, along with choosing higher welfare, can end the suffering on these farms.
We want to move further and faster to end the suffering of animals in science with a call for governments, industry and scientists worldwide to set out clear strategies for phasing out animal experiments. We recognise current piecemeal and ineffective legislation is failing wild animals, so we want better and more effective legal protection for all wildlife. We want to be more ambitious in our ultimate goal to end animal abuse, cruelty and neglect.
As we near our target of one million people joining us, we will build on our million-strong movement, with a goal to get millions more people involved in animal welfare. This movement for animal welfare is critical – we want to inspire as many people as possible to build a better world for every kind and it's only by working together, everyone for every animal, that we can significantly improve animals' lives.
Our nine ambitions
We have also updated our ambitions to reflect our progress and to ensure they are bold statements of intent which reflect the societal change we want to see.
- 1 End animal abuse, cruelty and neglect in England and Wales.
- 2 End harmful selling and breeding of pets in England and Wales.
- 3 Champion the global replacement of animal experiments with humane, non-animal methods.
- 4 Secure international agreements to prioritise animal welfare, including a UN convention.
- 5 Secure effective legal protection for all wildlife in England and Wales through robust new wildlife legislation.
- 6 Achieve statutory powers for RSPCA inspectors in England and Wales.
- 7 Build a millions-strong movement to create a better world for every kind of animal.
- 8 Call for a significant reduction in meat, dairy and egg consumption by 2050.
- 9 End lower welfare farming by bringing more farms under the RSPCA Assured scheme and continually driving up welfare standards.