The RSPCA is the leading UK animal welfare charity. We specialise in rescue, animal welfare and preventing animal cruelty.

1. RSPCA
All About Animals

2. Check out our pet care section for expert advice
on how to keep pets healthy and happy!
Pets come in all shapes and sizes, from cats to chinchillas,
fish to goats, rabbits to snakes!
Our pets are amazing – they can offer us company, affection,
comfort and fun, therefore they deserve our care and
respect.

3. Whether you own a pet or are
thinking of getting one, there are
lots of important things you need to
know and do to keep your pet healthy
and happy.
The law requires you to care for your pet properly and in this
section you'll find expert care advice and practical tips to
help you do this, whether your pet is a dog or a chicken!
Read more about your duty to care under the Animal Welfare Act.

4. • Did you know that dogs can be trained to detect drugs, explosives,
termites and diseases such as cancer, epilepsy and diabetes ?
• Did you know that cats have incredible hearing and can detect higher
frequencies of sound than humans or even dogs ?
• Did you know rabbits can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour for
short bursts ?
Discover more about these amazing animals in our dog, cat
and rabbit fact files.

5. Boosting your immune system
• One study found that children brought up with pets have more stable
immune systems than those in non-pet owning homes, and missed fewer
school days through sickness.
• An Australian survey found that dog and cat owners made fewer annual
doctor visits and were less likely to be on medication for heart problems
and sleeping difficulties than non-owners.

6. Encouraging exercise
• Owning a dog can motivate people to exercise by encouraging regular
walking. A study in Australia found that dog owners who walked their dog
were more likely to achieve 150 minutes of physical activity a week than
owners who did not walk with their dog.
• Another study found that older people who regularly walked their dogs
walked faster and for longer periods, and also had better mobility in their
homes, than those who didn’t walk regularly.

7. Providing emotional support
• Pets can be a great source of companionship to their owners.
• Growing up with pets may improve children’s social skills with people
and caring for a pet encourages childhood responsibility. Pets can also
encourage children to develop compassion, understanding and respect for
living things.
• Pets can act as ‘social catalysts’, by providing more opportunities for
social interactions. For example, dogs can help to initiate conversations
between strangers in public places. A shared interest in pets brings people
together from different parts of the community. People with more social
relationships are less likely to suffer from feelings of loneliness or social
isolation.

8. Consider giving a new home to one of the unwanted or abused animals in
our care…no animals are more deserving of a second chance.
Find a pet