30 Sept 2026
The analysis is contained in the first paper to be published from a new research centre dedicated to animal welfare.
Allister Webb
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Image: vegefox.com / Adobe Stock
Between 1 million and 4.6 million animals could be the victims of illegal harm in Great Britain, according to a newly released report.
The figures were revealed in the first published research from the newly launched Animal Welfare Evidence Centre, which has been formed through a collaboration between four major charities.
However, while the report acknowledges the figure may understate the true scale of the issue, centre officials claim its findings are a vital first step towards tackling it.
Jennifer Maher, the centre’s head of research, said: “We cannot fix a problem we don’t fully understand.
“With more research like this, we hope the centre can play a major role in helping all stakeholders understand the power of dealing with the symptoms of animal cruelty that, for too long, has permeated our behaviours, institutions and wider society.”
The analysis, which used a combination of desk-based research, stakeholder engagement and Freedom of Information requests, is divided into four categories for companion, farmed and wild animals plus those that are used in science.
The farmed category was by far the largest, with a range of between 830,000 and 3.9 million animals estimated to be at risk from unlawful harm each year.
Between 180,000 and 370,000 companion animals were thought to suffer annually, along with between 12,000 and 34,000 wild animals, whether free-living or in captivity.
More than 22,000 animals that experienced scientific procedures in 2024 were also found to be involved in cases of non-compliance, while around 310,000 others were said to live in zoos that did not meet all assessment requirements during inspections.
The report did note a 52% increase in the prosecution of cases likely to involve animal harm in England and Wales between 2023 and 2025, with more than 3,700 cases recorded by the Ministry of Justice last year.
But it also cautioned that out of more than 41,000 offences recorded by police in 2025-26, only 3% resulted in charges being brought, with another 2% ending in a caution. Many of the report’s recommendations focused on improving how offences are recorded and analysing the low prosecution rate.
Other proposed measures include increased enforcement capacity and the use of more unannounced inspections of premises.
Further research is also being planned on the financial impact of animal cruelty, which officials hope will help to persuade governments to invest more in prevention work.
But RSPCA executive director of advocacy and prevention, Thomas Schultz-Jagow, argued it was already clear that “urgent action” is needed.
He said: “The centre aims to demonstrate not only the miserable scale of current harm levels towards animals, but also the economic impact bad animal welfare is having for every family, community and social group across the country.”
The RSPCA, which collaborated with Compassion in World Farming, Four Paws UK and Humane World for Animals UK to establish the centre, also provided funding for the latest research alongside the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust.