Together for animal welfare
The foundation of our strategy is working in partnership with people, communities and organisations. It is key to delivering on our ambitions because we cannot deliver seismic change for animals alone.
As the RSPCA, we have a unique role to play in mobilising and driving change, raising animal welfare as the cause of our time. We can’t reach all animals ourselves, but by inspiring and empowering people, partners and communities, we can create societal change and together we can create a better world for every animal.
Our strategic priorities, which are currently being updated as part of our strategy refresh, focus on:
- Rescue and care – We rescue and care for animals in need.
- Advocacy – We change attitudes, behaviours, and laws.
- Prevention – We inspire kindness and compassion to all animals.
- Supporters – We grow support and income.
- Organisational effectiveness – We strive for excellence in all that we do.
And we’ve achieved a lot since this strategy was launched in 2021.
- Transformed the 200-year-old charity, with modernised leadership, culture and governance.
- Set an ambitious strategic direction of partnership working- strengthening relationships with Eurogroup and the World Animal Federation and outside the animal welfare sphere with Network Rail, NSPCC, Mind and Relate.
- Launched an impactful brand that is rallying the public, charities and organisations, thought leaders and those critical in shaping legislation to tackle the huge challenges facing animals we share our world with today and in the future.
- Responded to the Covid frontline, delivered a £1.5m cost-of-living fund to support struggling pet owners and animal charities, delivered one million meals through a new pet food bank.
- Funded help for animals in Ukraine and supported pets who were fleeing the conflict with their owners.
- Introduced a new three-tier prevention framework to deliver more impact for animals – from raising public awareness, through targeted intervention where cruelty and neglect are most severe in society.
- Introduced a new science-based holistic approach to assessing an animal’s welfare which considers their physical and emotional wellbeing and focuses on ensuring they thrive.
- Landmark legislative changes such as having animal sentience enshrined in law, tougher sentencing for animal abuse, compulsory cat microchipping, effectively banning primates as pets and the banning of live animal exports.
- Developed our thought leadership: launching the Animal Kindness Index; our annual Wilberforce Lecture; developing research, with reports on alternative proteins; and our ground-breaking Animal Futures Project that paints a picture of the potential future for animals.
A huge amount has changed for animals, for people and the world around us. We can look back on our 200th anniversary with great pride and take the opportunity to reflect.
In the coming months we will be unveiling a refresh of our existing strategy – a chance to focus and respond to new opportunities and challenges to deliver real and lasting change for animals. Our core work of frontline rescue and care, campaigning, digital transformation and prevention continues, but we’ve concentrated on some areas where our vision and role have developed since 2021. The strategy refresh will include:
- A new approach to food and farming, recognising that lower welfare farming represents the single biggest welfare issue facing animals.
- A focused international strategy, to deliver the most impact for animals globally through our partnerships and networks.
- A refreshed approach to wildlife to understand how we can achieve the greatest impact for wild animals.
- An increased focus on measuring our impact so we can make evidence-based decisions.