TRUSTEES' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2022
28
RESCUE AND CARE
We face a looming animal welfare crisis due to:
l an increase in the cost of living, leaving many owners
struggling to look after their animals
l increased pet ownership during the pandemic leading
to more abandonments now
l a shortage of veterinary provision across the industry
l not enough capacity at our animal centres to meet
increased demand.
IN 2023, WE WILL…
l Roll out Animal Voice - our science-informed tool to assess
and measure animal welfare - to more species.
l Make the most of our resources and help the animals most
in need by trialling new triage services.
l Lead a joined-up, cross-sector response to the crisis.
l Help caring owners keep their animals and reduce
demand on our services by providing effective advice
and support.
l Build capacity for those animals who do have to be taken
into our care.
FROM 2023 TO 2025, WE WILL…
l Review our role and the ways in which we can best help
animals through our Animal Journey programme.
l Ensure animals get the care they need, when they need it,
from the organisations that are best able to help them.
ANIMAL WELFARE IMPACTS
l Animals will get the help they need, more quickly.
l More animals will be able to stay with their owners in
loving homes.
l We will be better able to take those animals most in need
into our care.
ADVOCACY
We aim to maximise our impact on animal welfare by
continuing our work to become a thought leader, ensuring
our arguments are included in wider debates.
IN 2023, WE WILL…
l Launch three thematic campaigns showing how animal
welfare interconnects with other issues.
l Review our farm animal welfare assurance scheme, RSPCA
Assured, to ensure it can meet our strategic indicator of
half of UK farm animals being reared under RSPCA welfare
standards by 2030.
l Improve the way the public cares for and protects wildlife
through new initiatives.
l Increase our calls to phase out the use of animals in
research and reduce the number of experiments that cause
them severe suffering.
FROM 2023 TO 2025, WE WILL…
l Continue growing our animal welfare movement by reforming
and increasing our public campaigning.
l Encourage people to eat less, eat better and to choose
higher-welfare foods.
l Move towards a phase-out of greyhound racing and
discourage poor breeding in brachycephalic (short-nosed/
flat-faced) animals by leading debates on human behaviour
relating to companion animals and those used in sports.
ANIMAL WELFARE IMPACTS
l The public and politicians will be more conscious of animal
welfare and the impact human actions can have on it.
l More farm animals will be raised to RSPCA welfare standards.
l Fewer animals will suffer in laboratories.
l Fewer animals will be bred for their looks over their welfare.
RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood
visiting RSPCA Felledge Animal
and Equine Centre.
Below is a summary of what we will do in our priority areas over the next two years.