Annual Review

Look and you can find a hero in every one of us.

Our heroes

What is a hero? The dictionary describes a hero as a person admired or idealised for their courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities.

We are surrounded by heroes, but often we don’t recognise them because they are ordinary people – or animals. We are all heroes because our main concern is, and always will be, animal welfare.

In the RSPCA Annual Review 2009 (PDF 2.24MB) you will meet some of the heroes that work for the RSPCA – staff and volunteers – and also discover the mutually-beneficial relationships that exist between people and animals.

Compassion for others

This year’s annual review reminds us once again that the RSPCA only exists because of a fundamental human condition – compassion for others. We not only change animals’ lives, but also radically and positively affect the lives of individual people and whole societies.

China is a country that, until recently, seemed to lack compassion when it came to animals. But in 2009 something amazing happened; China drafted its first animal protection laws – a clear message to every citizen that animals matter.

We have spent decades working in China and are often asked why we bother – surely we should boycott a country that has such a poor regard for animal welfare? But we refused to turn our back on China’s animals and this wonderful breakthrough goes to show that patience, understanding, perseverance and compassion pay off.

Major achievements

Although the recession found us struggling to raise funds in 2009, we still had to deal with several major incidents involving huge numbers of animals.

The biggest was at a farm in Buckinghamshire, where more than 100 suffering horses, ponies and donkeys were removed in 2008. This continues to cost money as the prosecution goes through the legal system.

Elsewhere our undercover officers, working with the police and the BBC, smashed one of the UK’s biggest dog fighting gangs, resulting in 10 convictions.

These are major achievements, but every animal – from an adored pet trapped in floods to a bird caught in an oil spill – is just as important to us. We will continue to work to protect every animal that needs us – something we have done since 1824.

Chief executive: Mark Watts

Council chairman: Daphne Harris

To request a printed copy of our Annual Review 2009, please call: 0300 1234 555, Monday - Friday 9am-5pm.

For more facts and full financial figures see the Trustees' report and accounts for 2009.