A man with a top that says WSPA Disaster Relief carries an animal on his back

Celebrating 75 years protecting animals

For over seven decades, we’ve been on a mission to change how the world works to end animal cruelty and suffering.

As we’ve grown in size and influence, we’ve moved people, companies, and governments to act, raising the profile of animal welfare globally.

A history of protecting animals everywhere

We’ve always moved wherever the need for animal protection is greatest. From opening our first shelter for abused animals in Costa Rica to supporting mobile veterinary clinics to treat horses and donkeys working in hot, harsh conditions in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Cambodia, we’ve responded to hundreds of disasters, helping millions of animals affected by floods, tornados, volcanic eruptions, wars, and more all around the world.

Today, we have 12 country offices and one international office, operating in more than 47 countries.

John Walsh and a local community member rescuing a calf from the flood water. Known as ‘Operation Gwamba’, — In 1964, John Walsh and a team of 42 members of the local community, rescued 10,000 wild animals from flood water. Known as ‘Operation Gwamba’, the intervention marked the first of hundreds of disaster relief missions to come.

Men with WSPA tops conducting an illegal wildlife trade investigation in 1995, one holds a snake skin from a market stall to the camera — WSPA's Gerardo Huertas and Neil Trent conducting an illegal wildlife trade investigation in Belem City by the Brazilian Amazon river in 1995.

A history of campaigning

We’ve campaigned for lasting change for over seven decades. Our views are rooted in extensive research, and our opinions are published in reports covered by the global mainstream and influential media.

We carry out groundbreaking investigations, exposing some of the horrors animals experience at the hands of people. After six years of our campaigning work, India banned the trade in frogs’ legs in the 1980s, saving more than 30 million frogs annually.

In the 1990s, our Libearty campaign helped outlaw bear dancing in Greece, Turkey, and India. Today, we keep piling on the pressure to stop new factory farms, create a humane and sustainable food system, and end the exploitation of wild animals and give them the right to a wild life.

One of our longest running and most successful campaigns: Libearty, focussed on the exploitation and suffering of the world’s bears.

A retro campaign poster shows a minimal drawing of a bear alongside the name and slogan 'Libearty: The world campaign for bears'

Two bears enjoy climbing a tree they are surrounded by lush forrest — A bear surrendered or confiscated bear enjoys the WSPA sanctuary, opened in 1995.

A history of global action

We’ve moved international organisations to protect animals for many years. In the 1980s, we achieved consultative status with the United Nations and, by the 1990s, had been represented at the Council of Europe. These important platforms allow us to influence how animal welfare is viewed and legislated globally.

The UN Environment Assembly has officially recognised that animal welfare and the environment are inextricably linked. In 2005, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) adopted the first-ever global standards for farm animal welfare, ensuring 167 countries adopted guidelines on animal transportation and more humane slaughter methods.

By putting the welfare of farmed and wild animals on the agenda of these international organisations, we can have conversations that bring about the change that needs to happen at the highest level.

A man holds a starving donkey boarding a WSPA rescue boat — 1999, WSPA's John Walsh and others guide the donkeys onto the ship that will take them to their new homes in St. Lucia.

A line of people and their dogs form behind the WSPA rescue team — El Salvador 2001, WSPA responding to an earthquake with emergency aid for displaced animals, including making temporary shelters, medicine and vaccination.

A fake bear is shown to receive treatment during a workshop from World Animal Protection — 2005 a WSPA funded training course for the Forest Protection Department (FPD) of Vietnam on Anaesthetics, Microchipping and Captive Bear Managemen

A history of collaboration

We have a rich and successful heritage of partnering with others and building coalitions that create lasting, systemic change. In the mid-2000s, our Pet Respect programme supported dog and cat sterilisation programmes worldwide, neutering around 20,000 - 30,000 strays yearly.

This work persuaded governments to stop using cruel methods of stray dog and cat control, such as poisoning, electrocution and shooting. Mass rabies dog vaccination programmes led to countries like Mexico officially eliminating rabies transmitted from dogs to humans in 2019.

In the 2010s, we brought together 80 member organisations for the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, which worked to stop abandoned fishing gear at sea, support new ways to remove it from our seas and help replicate successful local sea animal rescue efforts.

A man in a World Animal Protection top strokes a puppy held by a young girl — As part of World Animal Protection's pilot vaccination program with the Kenyan government in 2015, Jonathon Konuche speaks with Linnet and her unnamed puppy. She lost a loved one to rabies.

We work with others who share our values to raise the profile of animal welfare in everything we do. We will also challenge ourselves, our allies, and our opponents to do better, go one step further, and be as ambitious as possible to create the change we want to see.

Only by working together can we turn the tide.Though the challenge is immense, change is always possible. This is our story. Our supporters’ story. But most importantly, it’s their story.

Will you help write the next chapter? Join the next generation of animal protectors.

Two elephants embrace each other playfully with their trunks

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When you make a donation, you’ll join a passionate group of supporters who are determined to change the world for animals. We're fighting animal cruelty wherever we find it — are you with us?

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Key Dates

1950

The World Federation for the Protection of Animals (WFPA) was founded with a focus on lobbying governments in Europe and Africa to improve animal welfare and increase overall awareness of the plight of animals.

1959

The International Society for the Protection of Animals (ISPA) was formed. With links to the UK’s RSPCA, it focused on campaigning and animal rescue work mainly in Latin America, Europe, and Africa.

1964

ISPA animal officer John Walsh rescued 10,000 animals from floodwaters in Suriname, laying the foundations of our disaster response work around the world.

1975

WFPA and ISPA agreed to merge to become one major international animal protection organisation.

1981

Following a six-year transition period, the merger of ISPA and WFPA was completed, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was born.

1997

We adopted a new logo symbolising our work and making our name more prominent.

2014

We changed our name to World Animal Protection to clearly demonstrate our purpose, mission and what we stand for.

2020

We launched our bold new 10-year strategy, which is focused on ensuring farmed animals live good lives and stopping the cruel exploitation of wild animals as commodities.

75 years protecting animals - 1950 - 2025