Ben Roberts

In a landmark development for pet-owners in the UK, last week we saw the launch of a bill that defends the right of private renters to own pets. This new legislation has come as a cause for celebration by both animal-loving tenants and animal charities, who are touting this victory as a significant step forward in promoting the positive impact of animals on well-being.

The success of animal charities in enacting change is worthy of a great deal of praise, which is why this week we’re looking at how these organisations manage to involve themselves so successfully in campaigns. How do these charities play a crucial role in advocating for animal and owner rights, and what can the sector learn from this win?

The popularity of animal charities

Across the last decade and beyond, we’ve found that there’s an enormous consistency to the popularity of these organisations. When we asked in February what category their favourite charities fall into, 35% of the public said animal charities. This is the second most popular response we received, and has been a consistent answer for years thanks in part to the public’s affinity for all things furry and cute.

But these organisations can’t simply rely on adorable pictures to build support (though they certainly do help!). Animal charities masterfully create trust between themselves and their supporters. As we discussed last month, the use of success stories in brand building is a powerful way to convey effectiveness to an audience, and animal charities are the masters in this. Each rescue, adoption, or conservation effort that these organisations achieve can be turned into compelling press and social media content, letting their work be appreciated and acknowledged. This is vital particularly as the biggest barrier to public support is mistrust or ambiguity around spending. Animal charities eliminate these concerns by highlighting their effectiveness.

The power of advocacy

Supporters of these charities also want to see them advocate for lasting change, however. This is why animal charities operating in the UK, such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, and Cats Protection, have long been at the forefront of campaigns to promote pet-friendly policies. These organisations have developed a trusting relationship between themselves and their supporter-base, showing that they recognise the challenges faced by pet owners. In this instance, this meant confronting the problem of securing suitable rental accommodation and the consequences of restrictions to pet-ownership.

The work of animal charities in raising awareness about pet-friendly policy is core to their success. Through public outreach, education, and engagement with policymakers, these organisations have successfully highlighted the positive impact of pets on mental health, loneliness, and overall well-being. They have emphasized the need for policies that accommodate responsible pet ownership and reduce the risk of pets being abandoned. In this way, they build on their promises of lasting change and reinforce their relationships with their stakeholders.

What can we learn from this?

Animal charities step forward to collaborate with policymakers to shape new legislation, and do so with the support of a huge contingent of pet-owners and animal lovers who were willing to lend their voices to the debate. Naturally, not every sector can expect this level of passion, in some part because most charities cannot provide such a tangible benefit to supporters. But this isn’t the only way that animal charities were able to get their message across.

Campaigning relies on many tools: evidence-based research, sharing real-life stories, and demonstrating the economic and social benefits of new policy. By using these tactics, any organisation can build a compelling case for change. If your charity is looking to campaign for change soon it may be worth reflecting on the support surrounding this new bill, to which we offer the best luck the animal charities involved.

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