From endangered whales to fairground goldfish, from pet cats to circus lions, we are on a mission to promote compassion for all creatures. 

A grey rabbit in the arms of an RSPCA animal centre manager © Joe Murphy / RSPCA Photolibrary

Kindness to animals can make life better, not just for the animals, but also for people. Whatever animals mean to you – a treasured companion, a wild marvel, a working animal, or food produce – treating all living creatures with compassion has benefits for you too.


Our mission statement is:

The RSPCA as a charity will, by all lawful means, prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of all animals.

Working for the welfare of pet animals

We work to improve the welfare of pets by:

  • ensuring that every pet is cared for properly and has a good home
  • ending cruelty to pet animals
  • raising standards for pet animals worldwide
  • stopping pet overpopulation.

These are just four of our goals to help pet animals.  Find our more about our work for companion animals.


Campaigning for farm animals

We aim to improve the lives and reduce the suffering of farm animals by:

  • aiming to have all farmed animals in the UK kept to RSPCA higher welfare standards
  • improving farm animal welfare legislation and ensuring it is enforced
  • encouraging consumers to replace meat, eggs and dairy products with those from higher welfare production systems
  • ensuring animal products are properly labelled so consumers can make higher welfare choices
  • stopping the live export of farm animals for slaughter from the UK.


These are just five of our goals. Read more about our work to help farm animals.


Improving the welfare of wild animals

We aim to improve the welfare of wild animals by:

  • stopping the use of wild animals in circuses
  • making it socially unacceptable to hunt and kill any wild animals in the name of sport
  • ensuring any use of performing animals in the UK follows appropriate guidelines
  • stopping the keeping of exotic animals as pets in unsuitable conditions
  • stopping the ivory trade.

These are just five of our goals. Find out more about our work to help wild animals.


Working for animals used in research

We aim to reduce the suffering of animals used in research by:

  • challenging the necessity and justification for using animals
  • working to end substantial suffering in experiments
  • raising the welfare standards of laboratory animals worldwide
  • ensuring UK standards are improved as the new European law is implemented.


These are just four of our goals to help animals used in laboratories. Read more information about our work for research animals.