The Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)

The Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) not only shelters and finds homes for animals, but also works hard to spread the word about the humane treatment of farm animals, companion animals and wildlife.

The central mission of the RSPCA—and animal welfare organisations throughout the world—is to prevent cruelty to animals. The many ways the RSPCA pursues its mission include promoting the care and protection of animals, interacting with the community, operating animal shelters, enforcing existing animal-cruelty laws and working to establish new policies about the humane treatment of animals.

The RSCPA is comprised of eight state and territory RSPCA member societies, with headquarters in New South Wales, South Australia, West Australia, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and Northern Territory. The RSPCA operates more than 40 animal shelters throughout the continent.

Established in 1871, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) quickly became the main animal welfare organisation in Australia. Originally formed in Victoria, seven other branches opened over the next 100 years, operating independently of one another.

In 1923, the SPCA received the Royal Warrant and became known as the Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The eight societies unified into one organisation 1982: the RSPCA Australia.

The RSPCA is also active in the England and Wales, where the organisation was founded in 1824. Since then, the RSPCA has motivated the creation of animal welfare organisations in New Zealand, Scotland, Wales and the United States.

The RSPCA Inspectorate serves a vital role within the community, protecting the health and welfare of animals. An Inspector’s primary functions are to attend to abandoned animals, inspect facilities that house animals of any kind and investigate reports of cruelty or neglect, initiating criminal investigations when necessary. Inspectors also work to prevent animal cruelty by participating in community education programs and providing information about animal welfare to pet owners.

Other community services include animal adoptions, wildlife management, educational programs and a wide variety of critical veterinary services, including vaccinations, microchipping, desexing (spay or neuter), dentistry and blood testing.

In addition to working at the local level to protect animals, the RSPCA actively campaigns on the national level, developing programs and initiatives to support the following causes:
- Desexing: Ending the pet overpopulation problem by promoting the spaying and neutering of pets.
- "Walk the Dog" Program: Promoting regular exercise for dogs, with an emphasis on the health benefits for dogs and their owners.
- Pedigreed Dogs: Regulating over-breeding and breeding lines.
- Puppy Farms: Ending the abuse dogs suffer in puppy mills by introducing legislation to improve housing conditions and mandatory care.
- Whips in Racing: Lobbying to end the use of whips in horsemanship.
- Chickens: Working to end the mass caging of laying hens and improve the treatment of meat chickens.
- Pig Farming: Regulating the treatment of farmed pigs to prevent anaesthesia-free surgeries (tail docking, castration and teeth clipping) and end their confinement in small stalls and farrowing crates.
- Dairy Farming: Promoting the humane treatment of dairy cattle.
- Duck Hunting: Working to end recreational duck hunting.
- Food Labelling: Lobbying for food labels that provide clear, accurate information about how animal products are produced.
- Live Export & Transportation: Improving the conditions of exported meat animals, including cattle, sheep and goats.
- Pest Animals: Creating humane solutions for eliminating pest animals, such as feral pigs and cats, wild dogs, rabbits, foxes and rodents.

Companion animal welfare is certainly an important component of the RSPCA's mission, but the organisation focuses much of its campaigning on the humane treatment of non-companion animals; as a group, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and fowl, are treated atrociously and garner far less media attention than the plight of mistreated cats and dogs.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a pet to your family, why not adopt one at the RSPCA? With more than 40 locations throughout Australia, the RSPCA houses thousands of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, small mammals and birds. For a small fee, you can take home a new companion today.