What has changed since our last strategy in 2021
For 200 years, we have changed laws, attitudes, behaviours and the lives of billions of animals in the UK and around the world. We investigate cruelty and neglect, and rescue animals in urgent need, and our rescue teams work with staff and volunteers across our network of hospitals, centres, branches, and partners to rehabilitate, release or rehome a huge variety of species.
Through our campaigning and advocacy work, we change laws – more than 400 during the last two centuries – improving the welfare of millions of animals in homes, on farms, in laboratories and in the wild. We work to change industries, ending cruel practices that harm animals here in the UK and internationally. Through our RSPCA Assured farm scheme we promote higher welfare farming, assuring more than 4,000 farms. We change behaviours, through our new brand, education and prevention work with educators, organisations, businesses and communities to empower everyone to be kinder to animals.
The RSPCA works in communities through its 135 branches in England and Wales, with more than 10,000 volunteers doing everything from collecting animals, fostering, dog walking, and campaigning to becoming a wildlife friend. We work in England and Wales, with around 400 animal rescuers investigating cruelty and neglect, four hospitals and clinics, as well as 14 animal centres and four wildlife centres offering expert treatment, rehabilitation, behavioural and rehoming services. And we work around the world, beyond borders, using our voice, our expertise and our profile to drive change for animals in partnership with others.
A stronger voice for animals
We have achieved law changes such as tougher sentencing for animal abuse, the recognition of animal sentience in law, compulsory cat microchipping, effectively banning primates as pets and the banning of live exports.
We have developed our thought leadership, launching our Animal Kindness Index which is now its third year, our annual Wilberforce Lecture, and developing research, such as our three-part report on alternative proteins and our ground-breaking Animal Futures project.
We have enhanced local animal welfare policies through a 50 percent increase in participation in our public sector awards scheme, which recognises excellence in key local animal welfare service provision, and transformed our engagement with local councillors, including the launch of our Local Government Animal Welfare Manifesto.
We have welcomed a government commitment to speed up the development and uptake of non-animal technologies to replace the use of animals in science.
Modernised rescue and care
We have reprioritised our service delivery, ensuring our skilled frontline rescue teams focus on animals suffering cruelty and neglect – a job no other charity does – reaching victims of cruelty and neglect six times faster.
We have delivered our strategy commitment to transfer our public-facing veterinary work to others in the sector, so we can treat and care for the animals who need us most.
We have developed and piloted a new, science-based animal welfare assessment tool to ensure we deliver the best possible care.
We have championed the Animal Voice through the five domains model of assessment, which focuses on delivering positive welfare through the animal’s own perspective, looking at their mental and physical health.
We introduced a new three-tier prevention framework to deliver more impact for animals: tier one raising public awareness, inspiring and engaging people; tier two early intervention and support; and tier three, targeted intervention.
A movement for change
We launched our first new brand for 50 years to inspire everyone to create a better world for every animal, reflecting our strategic shift towards a community-based organisation recognising that animal welfare is everyone’s responsibility.
We launched our million-strong movement in our 200th year, which stands at more than 960,000 donors, campaigners and volunteers making a difference to animals.
We have empowered people with advice and support to help more animals themselves, taking small sick, injured or abandoned animals directly to vet’s so they get the help they need as quickly as possible.
We have invested in our operations partnership team, building new, and leveraging existing partnerships, such as our food banks, which have delivered two million meals to needy pets since 2020.
We have developed our partnerships with charities and organisations both inside and outside the animal welfare sector, such as mental health charity Mind, relationship charity Relate, and Network Rail.
We have extended our animal welfare partnerships. In the UK our pet education partnership and the dog control coalition , and globally our work with Eurogroup and World Federation for Animals.
A better place to work
We are working towards becoming a more efficient, responsible and sustainable organisation, undertaking a full assessment of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues to inform our ESG ambitions and prioritise our focus.
We have a People Plan, launched in 2022, that sets out our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and prioritises the development of skills we need at every level of the organisation.
Our evolving culture is inclusive, open, collaborative and forward thinking, where people feel empowered and trust each other.
We have co-created a stronger model for partnerships with our branch network to deliver more sustainable and efficient animal welfare and prevention in our communities.
We have transformed our digital systems and processes to boost collaboration and ensure we can deliver the best care to animals.