RSPCA Business Plan 2025
Foreword
I'm excited to share our Business Plan 2026–2028, which builds on the momentum of our refreshed Together for Animal Welfare, 2021 to 2030 Strategy and strengthens our commitment to leading and inspiring collective action to create lasting, positive change for animals everywhere.
Since the launch of this strategy we have:
- found homes for 109,251 animals
- rescued 95,597 animals from cruelty, neglect or abandonment
- investigated 288,605 allegations of animal welfare offences
- inspired 1,049,865 people to join our millions-strong movement
- increased the number of animals covered by the RSPCA Assured scheme to 26 percent of all UK farmed animals, helping to drive progress towards our ambition of ending lower welfare farming
- made significant strides in advocacy, helping to secure stronger protection for animals, including the recognition of animal sentience in law, compulsory cat microchipping, new restrictions on keeping primates as pets, and the banning of live exports.
Our charitable purpose is to prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of animals, and we have been fulfilling that purpose for over 200 years. This requires us to carefully balance the need to remain financially resilient whilst focused on creating a better world for every animal.
Like all charities, this requires us to carefully prioritise our resources in order to fulfil the following outcomes:
- We will improve welfare outcomes for animals in our care.
- We will inspire a millions-strong movement.
- We will change behaviours towards animals and improve standards for farmed animals.
- We will make the RSPCA a great place to work.
- We will make sure our actions translate into meaningful, measurable and impactful outcomes for animals.
This three-year plan sets out where we will be placing our focus, despite a challenging economic and operational backdrop. This plan sets out an exciting agenda of change, including progressing our new strategy on food and farming, our exciting plans to modernise our estate and deepening our expertise in animal behavioural science, improving the experience of animals in our care. For further detail, I encourage you to read our full Business Plan, which outlines our priorities, objectives and activities.
Through the implementation of our Business Plan 2026–2028, we’re dedicated to establishing the foundations and actions that will drive lasting, meaningful impact. By uniting our efforts behind our purpose and prioritising our outcomes, I’m confident that we’ll continue to create a better world — one where all animals are respected and treated with expertise in animal kindness and compassion.
I’m excited to welcome the next phase of our strategy delivery and to share the 2026–2028 Business Plan with you.
Joanna Rowlands
Chief Executive
Next page: Business plan overview