Oldest animal welfare charity

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was founded on 16 June 1824 in Old Slaughter’s Coffee House in London, UK, although it was only formally designated “royal” in 1840. It operates in England and Wales. During the organization’s 200-year history, it has been a driving force in outlawing harsh practices – including bear and bull baiting – campaigning to stop the use of wild animals in circuses (only achieved in England in 2019) and pressing for legislation such as 2006’s Animal Welfare Act. Today, its duties include rescue and rehabilitation, and pressing for prosecutions for animal cruelty. In 2022 alone, the RSPCA handled 68,500 reported incidents of neglect and abandonment.

The initial meeting to discuss the inauguration of the then Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was attended by 23 founding members. Its First Secretary was Arthur Broome, a London vicar and in its first year, the society brought court cases against 63 offenders. As Princess Victoria of Kent, the future Queen Victoria granted the society her patronage (along with that of her mother, the Duchess of Kent) in 1835; after she ascended the throne in 1837, Victoria consented to become patroness of the society.

By 1840, when the society was officially granted royal status, it employed five full-time inspectors, each of whom was paid a guinea a week. In 1911, the RSPCA helped inspire the Protection of Animals Act, a landmark piece of legislation covering cruelty towards animals, and helped push through the Hunting Act in 2005. Today, the Society has more than 300 inspectors and around 16,000 volunteers. Its modern-day responsibilities span a range of activities, include neutering and microchipping animals.

The RSPCA operates 14 animals centres, which care for, rehabilitate and rehome the most neglected and mistreated animals in England and Wales. It also oversees 145 branches, which operate as separate charities. In 2021, the RSPCA’s hospitals, branches and clinics received 59,792 animals, including wildlife. It carried out a total of 88,994 treatments, neutered 46,806 animals and microchipped 37,435 animals. That same year saw a remarkable 85% increase in volunteers.

As a charity, the RSPCA relies on public donations to support its work. The UK government supplies some funding, but this represents less than 0.1% of the organization’s annual expenditure as of 2021.