The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is one of the largest animal welfare charities in the UK and it is considered to be the oldest charity of its type in the world – it has been looking after animals since 1824.

The mission statement of the RSPCA is that as a charity they will “by all lawful means, prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of all animals.” This wide brief means that they deal with a wide variety of animal welfare situations and campaign widely on a variety of platforms.

The RSPCA currently focus on four key areas –

The Welfare of Pet Animals

• The RSPCA aim to ensure that all pets are cared for properly and have an adequate home.

• They aim to raise standards for pet care both nationally and internationally.

• Cruelty to pet animals must be investigated and eradicated.

• People should be educated about caring for a pet.

The Campaign for Farm Animals

• The RSPCA aims to improve the lives of farm animals by campaigning for better animal welfare legislation for farm animals.

• The promotion of meat, eggs and dairy produce from ethically reared or produced sources (with proper labelling on products to reflect this.

• Eradicating the live export of farm animals for slaughter from the UK.

The Welfare of Wild Animals

• Stopping animals being used in circuses.

• Making sure that the use of any performance animals follows acceptable guidelines.

• The promotion that any hunting or killing of wild animals is socially unacceptable.

• Educating that public against keeping exotic pets in unsuitable domestic environments.

The Welfare of Animals Used in Research

• The RSPCA aims to challenge the justification for using animals in research or clinical testing.

• Ending suffering of laboratory animals and raising the standards at which they are kept.

Donate to the RSPCA

The RSPCA receives no government or lottery funding whatsoever. The charity can only continue to run through the generous donations made by animal lovers.

If you would like to make a donation to the RSPCA, see what your donation money would go towards on a daily basis –

• The RSPCA rescue over 370 animals every day.

• They investigate nearly 400 cruelty complaints each day.

• Almost 600 animals are treated in RSPCA hospitals daily.

• Nearly 200 animals are found new homes every day.

Make an online donation to the RSPCA today.