The animal welfare charity, which today celebrates its 200th anniversary, has found loving homes for 405,839 pets since 2013.
During that time, 615,000 creatures great and small have been treated at RSPCA hospitals – whether for welfare or life-saving operations – and a staggering 1.7 million vet treatments have been carried out.
It also delivered an incredible 1.5 million pet meals to help hard-up owners via its Pet Food Bank Partnership.
Members of the public are now being urged to join its movement, as a “perfect storm” for animal welfare is taking its toll on the organisation in the wake of Covid.
This has been caused by a combination of the cost-of-living crisis and a surge in pet ownership during the pandemic, it said.
A three-year high for abandoned and neglected pets has been recorded, with 72,050 calls received in 2023 alone.
It comes at a time of crisis for all animals around the globe affected by war, climate change, wildlife loss and industrial farming.
On its “amazing” achievements, RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “This is a real moment of celebration for us but we cannot ignore the challenges ahead.
“We are so proud of our long history changing lives for animals, whether it’s through our education and prevention work, frontline rescue, rehabilitating and rehoming, or our campaigning – which has helped change more than 400 laws.
“We have sparked a global movement which has spread kindness to animals, but we are also in local communities, where our branches work tirelessly to help animals.
“All animals face unprecedented challenges – and we know that our futures and the futures of animals who share our world are inextricably linked. That’s why we’re launching our million-strong movement in 2024, to get one million people taking action to change animals’ lives in our 200th year.”
Reaching out to animal lovers across Britain, he went on: “There are things we can all do, big and small, to make a real difference – whether it is joining a campaign, changing the way we shop, learning how to be an even better pet owner, making informed choices about the food we eat, volunteering and more. We want as many people as possible to get involved.”
Those who answer his call will be contributing to a long history of fighting for animal justice through reforms to the law.
Way back in 1835, the RSPCA won its first legislative change with the Pease’s Act – prohibiting cruelty to dogs, cats and other domestic animals.
It outlawed the bearbaiting and cockfighting, while insisting on better standards for slaughterhouses. During the First World War, the charity supported the Army Veterinary Corps in treating sick and wounded horses and it helped more than 250,000 animals trapped, hurt, or injured in Second World War bombing raids.
Then in 2006, the RSPCA helped get the Animal Welfare Act through Parliament, which set out to prevent unnecessary animal suffering and improve animal welfare.
In 2021, the UK Government passed the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, which increased prison sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years.
Mr Sherwood said: “These achievements show just how far the organisation has come since 1824 when founding members met
in a London coffee shop determined to improve animals’ lives.
“Those foundations – such as life-saving frontline work, prevention and education work, and being a major campaigning voice calling for better welfare for all animals – are still as important as ever.”
This year, the RSPCA will pile pressure on the Government to deliver promises in the dropped Kept Animals Bill, a piece
of draft legislation which included stopping people keeping primates as pets and protecting animals being imported into and out of the country.
