our f ive PLEDGES to hep animas and improve their wefare 011211 Roya Society for the Prevention of Cruety to Animas Wiberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS Teephone: 0300 1234 555 www.rspca.org.uk The RSPCA heps animas in Engand and Waes. Registered charity no: 219099 The RSPCA ony exists because of pubic donations. An RSPCA in-house pubication P98 1.12 Iustrations: animas and items: Mind Orchard, andscape: Anna Wray/istock, ribbons: arteva/istock. www.rspca.org.uk/pedges
the f ive RSPCA PLEDGES contents FIRST AND ALWAYS FOREMOST 4 OUR AREAS OF CONCERN 5 SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES 6 NEW WORLD, NEW CHALLENGES 8 TIME TO TAKE FIVE 9 PLEDGE 1 10 PLEDGE 2 12 PLEDGE 3 14 PLEDGE 4 16 PLEDGE 5 18 We have made five key pedges to improve the ives of miions of animas over the next five years and we re counting on you to hep us. For neary 190 years we ve given hundreds of miions of animas better ives, rescuing them from unacceptabe situations and finding them new homes. We aways do that, but our pedges show we re aso tacking the root causes of poor wefare, crue treatment and negect that so many animas sti suffer in today s changing word. Our f ive pedges cover the areas we are concerned about: farm animas animas in aboratories pets wid animas. You can pay an important roe in heping us to fufi our pedges pease read on to see how. Thank you. 2 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 3
First and aways foremost Our areas of concern We ve been at the forefront of anima wefare for neary two centuries. We formed in 1824 to enforce anima wefare aw and prevent cruety to animas, and our founders incuded anti-savery MP Wiiam Wiberforce and MP Richard Martin who took the first anima wefare aw through pariament in 1822. Our inspectorate was the first aw enforcement agency, set up five years before the poice, and we have investigated cruety, rescued animas and brought perpetrators to justice ever since. Our campaigns and education programmes continue to improve aws and infuence changes in behaviour towards animas. Since Queen Victoria gave us our Roya tite in 1840, anima wefare societies modeed on the RSPCA have emerged in virtuay every country in the word. A animas matter We don t differentiate between breeds and species we try to improve a animas ives. It s a ot of work for our centres, 160+ branches and wefare science departments. In 2010 aone, we investigated neary 160,000 cruety compaints and gave more than 65,000 animas a chance of a new home and ife. RSPCA, Phiip Toscano/RSPCA Photoibrary Farm animas To hep consumers improve the ives of farm animas by buying products made from animas reared to higher wefare standards, we set up Freedom Food, the ony assurance scheme in the UK dedicated to improving animas wefare. To carry the Freedom Food mark, products must come from animas inspected to our own higher wefare standards at every stage of their ives. Pets More than haf of our work focuses on pets. Each year we rescue, treat, neuter and rehome more than 65,000 animas, particuary cats, dogs and rabbits. We aso have four anima hospitas and many cinics that provide preventative care and treatment for pets. Wid animas We rescue and rehabiitate thousands of wid animas every year in our widife centres, then reease and foow them in order to constanty buid on our methods. We aso work to reduce the impact peope have on widife and improve the ives of animas that are traded, such as repties for pets, and those kept in captivity. Animas in aboratories We want to see anima experiments repaced with humane aternatives. We argue for stricter questioning of the need to use animas and we campaign for practica ways to repace animas in experiments. We want to reduce anima numbers and suffering whie their use continues. We don t differentiate among breeds and species we try to improve a animas ives. 4 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 5
1835 2012 SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES 1835 1876 1990 present day 1998 2005 2006 We achieved a ban on bu baiting. We were invoved in changes to the standards controing the use of animas in aboratories and then again in 1986 and 2010. More than a dozen major changes to farm anima wefare aws have improved the ives of aying hens, pigs, chickens and vea caves. Buying habits have changed too more than haf the eggs produced in the UK are now non cage, compared to ess than one-third 10 years ago. Saes of products from pigs farmed under better wefare conditions continue to rise. Driftnets were banned, which heped improve dophin wefare dophinaria were aso phased out during the 1990s. A aw was passed to prohibit importing wid-caught birds. A major RSPCA campaign resuted in a new framework aw for anima wefare. The Anima Wefare Act 2006 meant for the first time we coud prevent suffering. By giving out warning notices we are now improving animas ives before suffering happens, with more than 90 percent of peope heeding our warnings and acting on them. 6 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 7
New word, new chaenges So, we know we can make a difference, yet today our work is in more demand than ever before. New aws and technoogy have brought new chaenges. The internet has competey changed the way peope buy animas. For instance we estimate that more than haf get dogs via the internet, friends or neighbours, often without knowing anything about how to care for them. Less than one-quarter get animas from rescue organisations ike the RSPCA, where they wi be given a the hep, information and support they need to ook after their pets. Inevitaby the RSPCA has to pick up the pieces when reaity kicks in and the animas are abandoned or mistreated. A must-have attitude to animas has deveoped, driven in part by the media and ceebrity cuture. We saw this in the increased saes of terrapins foowing the fim Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtes in the 1990s, and the demand for handbag dogs and even meerkats. Unfortunatey the desire to possess doesn t aways ast, and the animas coud become the victims of our throwaway cuture. Some ancient anima wefare issues are sti around too. Dog fighting, though prohibited in 1835, seems to be increasing, as it becomes popuar in different communities....the animas coud become the victims of our throwaway cuture. Joe Murphy x2/rspca Photoibrary TIME TO TAKE FIVE It s time to reverse these recent trends. Our five pedges are heping us do that, and enabe us to measure the rea effect we are having on animas ives. 8 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 9
1 WE PLEDGE to end the over popuation of companion animas and tacke the reated issues. THE PROBLEM Too many animas, particuary of certain breeds, are bred without thought for their future and end up being owned by peope who can t provide for their needs. Many are abandoned or find themseves in the care of the RSPCA or other wefare organisations. What are the trends? The number of stray dogs being picked up by oca authorities rose in 2010/11. Because we concentrated on animas in greatest need, the number of cats, dogs and rabbits the RSPCA accepted and rehomed fe. We sti have hundreds of cats, dogs and rabbits that have to be hed outside the RSPCA, as there are no spaces avaiabe in our own centres. In 2010, we hed an average of 170 cats on waiting ists, up from 91 in 2009. The number of dogs and rabbits on our waiting ists fe. WE WANT TO SEE 1 2 3 DECLINING NUMBER OF ABANDONED STRAY DOGS. WE LL DO Educate prospective pet owners in communities that need most support. Work with companies to improve internet seing poicies and promote neutering. Work with governments to improve standards of dog breeding and reduce the number of dogs coming onto the market. Understand why peope get pets. Improve pet information, so owners make good decisions when getting a pet. Encourage prospective owners to get their pets from the RSPCA. FEWER CATS, DOGS AND RABBITS BEING TAKEN TO OUR CENTRES. FEWER ANIMALS ON OUR WAITING LISTS BECAUSE THERE IS NO SPACE IN OUR CENTRES. YOU CAN DO Pan ahead and pan carefuy getting a pet is a ong-term commitment. Make sure you understand what a pet wi need before you get one. Get your pet from the RSPCA if you can. Get your pet neutered and microchipped. Visit our website: www.rspca.org.uk/pets to find out about your pet s needs. Support our work by making a donation, vounteering and heping with our campaigns: www.rspca.org.uk/campaigns 10 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 11
WE PLEDGE to end the euthanasia of any rehomeabe anima. THE PROBLEM 2 Because there are too many animas and too few good homes avaiabe, sometimes we just cannot rehome animas that shoud be given another chance. Athough we hate having to do it, we have no option but to put them to seep. WE WANT TO SEE 1 2 3 FEWER CATS, DOGS AND RABBITS NEEDING TO BE RESCUED IN THE FIRST PLACE. MORE GOOD HOMES AVAILABLE FOR REHOMING ANIMALS. MORE PEOPLE CHOOSING RSPCA ANIMALS FOR PETS. 4 A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF REHOMEABLE ANIMALS BEING EUTHANASED. What are the trends? Number of rehomeabe cats, dogs and rabbits euthanased by the RSPCA, 2005 2010 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 The overa trend in the euthanasia of rehomeabe cats and dogs has gone down over the past 20 years. But in 2010 we had to euthanase 33 percent more dogs and 28 percent more cats than in 2009. We started coecting data for the number of rehomeabe rabbits that were euthanased in 2009 and there was a 29 percent drop in 2010. n CATS n DOGS n RABBITS WE LL DO Increase the number of animas we rehome, by improving our customer care. Reduce the number of animas that are returned to our centres and branches by providing better support for adopters. Deveop fostering programmes for those animas ooking for new homes. Promote microchipping to hep reunite stray animas with their owners and reduce the number of uncaimed animas. YOU CAN DO Pan ahead and pan carefuy remember that getting a pet is a ong-term commitment. Make sure you understand what a pet wi need before you get one. Get your pet from the RSPCA if you can. Get your pet neutered and microchipped. Visit our website: www.rspca.org.uk/pets to find out about your pet s needs. Support our work by making a donation, vounteering and heping with our campaigns: www.rspca.org.uk/campaigns 12 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 13
3 WE PLEDGE to increase the proportion of animas reared under higher wefare systems in the UK. THE PROBLEM The UK s inadequate and ineffectivey enforced farm anima wefare aws cannot ensure a good quaity of ife for a our 900 miion farm animas produced every year. Shoppers say they are interested in buying products from animas reared under higher wefare conditions, but their buying habits often don t refect this. What are the trends? The percentage of UK farm animas reared under Freedom Food*, 2004 2010 % OF ANIMALS 50 40 30 20 10 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 The number of ducks, turkeys, pigs and egg aying hens reared under higher wefare systems rose in 2010. The number of chickens reared for meat under higher wefare systems dropped sighty. The number of dairy catte, sheep and beef catte reared under higher wefare systems remained ow. n CHICKENS n LAYING HENS n BEEF CATTLE n PIGS n SHEEP n DAIRY CATTLE n DUCKS n TURKEYS WE WANT TO SEE 1 2 3 CONTINUED RISES IN THE PROPORTION OF FARM ANIMALS REARED UNDER HIGHER WELFARE CONDITIONS IN THE UK. WE LL DO Tacke the barriers that stop peope buying higher-wefare food incuding through better abeing dispayed on products. Encourage retaiers and restaurants to provide higher-wefare products. Te consumers what choices they shoud make and how they can buy higher-wefare products. MORE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS SUPPLYING PRODUCTS FROM THESE ANIMALS. MORE CONSUMERS BUYING HIGHER- WELFARE PRODUCTS. YOU CAN DO Buy Freedom Food eggs, dairy products and meat. Support retaiers and restaurants that se and serve Freedom Food products. Ask for higher-wefare food when empoying caterers. Write to supermarkets asking them to ony stock higher-wefare products and improve products package abeing. Support our work by making a donation, vounteering and heping with our farm anima campaigns: www.rspca.org.uk/campaigns *Freedom Food is the RSPCA s farm anima wefare assurance scheme see page 5. 14 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 15
4 WE PLEDGE to reduce the number of animas in the UK who undergo severe suffering when used in experiments. THE PROBLEM The eve of pain or distress suffered by animas used in experiments depends on the nature of the research and under UK aw is cassified as mid, moderate or substantia (severe). Any eve of suffering is a concern for the RSPCA, but ending severe suffering is a top priority. What are the trends? There are no officia figures, but of the 3.7 miion animas used in the UK in 2010, a significant number wi have undergone severe suffering. New egisation to be impemented by 2013 wi record the number of animas experiencing each eve of suffering in the future. WE WANT TO SEE 1 2 3 AN END TO SEVERE SUFFERING. WE LL DO Promote ways of avoiding or reducing severe suffering and better methods for monitoring animas. Increase awareness of the issue within science and industry. Argue for cear guidance on assessing and cassifying suffering, with detais of the number of animas experiencing each eve of suffering to be made pubicy avaiabe. ACCURATE REPORTING OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS EXPERIENCING MILD, MODERATE OR SEVERE SUFFERING. ONCE FIGURES BECOME AVAILABLE, A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS EXPERIENCING SEVERE SUFFERING. YOU CAN DO Make the government aware of your views and concerns about anima research and testing, especiay the issue of severe suffering. Write to your MP and the minister. Make sure you are aware of the price animas pay for medica research, the pursuit of knowedge and the drive to market new chemicas and products. For more information, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/ aaboutanimas/aboratory Support our work on anima experiments by making a donation, vounteering and heping with our campaigns: www.rspca.org.uk/campaigns 16 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 17
5 WE WANT TO SEE WE PLEDGE to reduce the number of exotic animas kept as pets and increase their humane care. THE PROBLEM Not a wid animas kept as pets have been bred in captivity. Animas, such as repties, are being caught from the wid then transported ong distances in unacceptabe conditions to be sod as pets in the UK. Peope may choose unusua pets without reaising that they can be difficut to ook after, ive for a ong time and need speciaist care. High-quaity care information can aso be hard to find, which means animas suffer wefare probems and even die, because their owners can t give them proper care. Other animas are abandoned or end up in RSPCA care when they become too difficut to ook after. What are the trends? The number of repties imported into Europe (and the UK), and the proportion that have been taken from the wid, seems to be increasing, rising to an estimated 5.9 miion repties in 2009 from just over 1.5 miion in 2005. The number of exotic pets in the UK seems to be increasing with the Pet Food Manufacturers Association estimating a jump from 700,000 to 900,000 snakes, izards, tortoises and turtes between 2010 and 2011. We are deaing with increasing incidents of certain exotic animas. THE IMPORT OF WILD-CAUGHT ANIMALS STOPPED. WE LL DO BETTER INFORMED PROSPECTIVE EXOTIC ANIMAL KEEPERS. Deveop a network of RSPCA centres with faciities to care for and rehome exotic animas so we can increase the proportion we rehome over the next 10 years. Encourage seers of exotic pets to promote responsibe production and seing. Encourage the keeping of captive-bred rather than wid-caught animas. BETTER INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY EXOTIC ANIMAL SELLERS. FEWER EXOTIC ANIMALS SUFFERING WELFARE PROBLEMS AND A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER BEING TAKEN INTO RSPCA CARE. YOU CAN DO Do your research! Don t buy any anima on impuse and make sure you find out a about an anima before taking it on. If you decide to get an exotic anima, think about rehoming one from a rescue centre or visit a reputabe seer and satisfy yoursef that the animas are kept propery and were captive bred in the UK. If you see an exotic pet that you think is suffering, pease ca our 24-hour cruety and advice ine: 0300 1234 999. Support our work by making a donation, vounteering and heping with our wid anima campaigns: www.rspca.org.uk/campaigns 18 OUR FIVE PLEDGES OUR FIVE PLEDGES 19