Behind every animal welfare concern is a story, and often that story is more complex than it first appears. Economic disadvantage, geographic isolation, domestic and family violence, health and social challenges, and barriers to essential services can all affect a person’s capacity to care for an animal they love.
RSPCA NSW’s first Welfare Report brings together available animal welfare data and factors of human wellbeing to help build a clearer picture of where animals may face greater vulnerability, and why. It applies a One Welfare lens, recognising that the wellbeing of animals, people and communities are deeply interconnected.
The report establishes an important baseline for NSW. It identifies gaps in current data, highlights opportunities for more targeted support and sets out recommendations for a more proactive, evidence-informed approach to animal welfare.
This document also underpins our 2027–2030 strategic plan and provides the foundation for our prevention-first initiatives, guiding more of our work to shift from responding to harm to preventing it.
“The best animal welfare outcome is not rescuing animals at crisis point. It is preventing that crisis from ever occurring.”
Dr Liz Arnott, Chief Veterinarian, RSPCA NSW
‘One Welfare’ is a natural extension of the concept of ‘One Health’, which recognises that human and animal health are not only interdependent but also bound to the health of the ecosystems in which we reside. In practice, ‘One Welfare’ calls for collaboration between human health services and animal welfare professionals in fields such as food safety, farming, and domestic and family violence.
Effective implementation of ‘One Welfare’ hinges on the collaboration of human and animal support services, and requires cooperation between experts in the following fields and beyond:
‘One Welfare’ is a natural extension of the concept of ‘One Health’, which recognises that human and animal health are not only interdependent but also bound to the health of the ecosystems in which we reside. In practice, ‘One Welfare’ calls for collaboration between human health services and animal welfare professionals in fields such as food safety, agriculture, and even domestic and family violence.
Our programs and outreach initiatives aim to keep people and animals together by strengthening the human and animal bond. By exploring values not traditionally expressed in impact reports and financial statements, we’re continually assessing the overall impact of our work.
With goals like improving access to veterinary care and increasing animal welfare education, RSPCA NSW’s three-year strategic plan represents our commitment to contribute our insight and experience to shape a brighter future for people and animals alike.
RSPCA NSW rehomes a range of different animals, from dogs, cats, and birds to horses, rabbits, and sheep! We believe that all creatures, great and small, can bring joy to our families and homes. Begin your adoption journey today and make an adorable lifelong friend!
By providing temporary homes for our animals, we can ensure they get the care they need until they are ready to be adopted. Join our network of foster carers for an incredibly rewarding experience; with your help, we can change the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable animals.
We rely on our generous supporters to continue assisting the thousands of animals turning to RSPCA NSW for help. No matter how small your contribution, every gift makes a lifesaving difference for animals in need.
By raising funds and lending a hand to communities and their pets, our volunteers play a pivotal role in our work throughout NSW. If you have a genuine concern for animals and enjoy meeting like-minded people, consider becoming an RSPCA NSW volunteer today!
The Welfare Report is RSPCA NSW’s first statewide exploration of how human wellbeing and animal welfare outcomes intersect. It brings together available animal welfare information and indicators of human wellbeing to better understand where animals may be at greater risk and the factors that may contribute to that risk.
One Welfare recognises that animal welfare, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability are interconnected. It acknowledges that improving outcomes for animals can require support for the people who care for them and stronger systems within the communities they share.
This report will help guide our program design, resource allocation, advocacy and evaluation. It initiates an evidence foundation for five connected priorities: accessible veterinary care, an animal welfare safety net, targeted desexing, community-based prevention, and advocacy and engagement.
This report is a starting point, or what we refer to as our baseline. Future work will focus on gathering more data, tracking trends, evaluating prevention-focused programs and building partnerships across government, veterinary care, research, health, housing, community services and the animal welfare sector.
We welcome collaboration with government, veterinary professionals, researchers, community organisations and others who share our commitment to improving outcomes for animals, people and communities. If you’re interested in partnering with us, contributing to future research or supporting prevention-first initiatives, we’d love to hear from you.
