We love our animals. And that’s why there are plenty of animal charities in the UK to donate to, ensuring our furry friends who need a little bit of extra help are well supported. If you want to help out, we’ve put together a list of the top UK animal charities to donate to. And if you fancy raising some money for animals in need, you can start a GoFundMe today to support one of these.
8 UK animal charities to donate to
What’s the best animal charity to donate to?
There are lots of different UK animal charities to donate to that support animals in a variety of ways. These include:
- Rescue and rehoming
- Providing support for urgent veterinary care
- Protecting wildlife
- Preventing animal cruelty
- Protecting endangered species
There are as many different options for donating to animal welfare charities as there are charities themselves. You can contact the charities with an offer of funding, organise your own fundraiser, or sponsor an already established fundraising activity.
One of the easiest ways is to support a GoFundMe crowdfunder. You can donate directly to your chosen charity through the platform, or support a specific fundraising event for that charity. To help you decide which UK animal charities to donate to, we’ve put together a list of some of the most well-known and active ones.
List of top UK animal charities
We’ve included a list of top animal charities in the UK – ranging from Guide Dogs to the WWF, the RSPCA or The Donkey Sanctuary. This list is based on YouGov data that measures the percentage of people who have a good opinion on the charities. If you think you’d like to raise money, take a look at our blog on how to fundraise for animals here or take a look at other top charities in the UK here.
1. Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is known as one of the best animal charities in the UK, and has been supporting needy animals for the past 160 years. Along with looking after and rehoming cats and dogs from their centres, they also offer advice and expertise to support pet owners everywhere, campaign over animal welfare issues (including things like having pets in rental properties) and work with other rescues.
2. WWF – UK
The WWF is a conservation charity, looking at helping to preserve the habitat of animals across the globe. They are based in the UK – having a HQ in Woking along with offices in Edinburgh and Cardiff. They are working towards reducing carbon emissions to help preserve rivers, forests and seas. You can help to support the WWF with a one-off or monthly donation online to one of the best animal welfare charities supporting wildlife and the wider environment.
3. Guide Dogs
For those who are blind or with sight loss, guide dogs can be absolutely life-changing. The Guide Dogs organisation has been professionally training guide dogs since 1931. Once a guide dog is trained and homed, they usually stay with their owner until retirement. You can support Guide Dogs by donating, either as a monthly donation or a one-off, or leaving money in your will. You can also volunteer to foster a puppy who will go on to become a trained guide dog.
4. RSPCA
The RSPCA is the oldest animal welfare charity in the UK. They introduced a law to protect animals in relation to work – and their continued campaigning and on-the-ground care means that those who deliberately harm animals are prosecuted and standards are raised. The RSPCA also has centres across the UK which look after and rehome animals, rehabilitate and provide care when needed. Additional support includes offering advice to pet owners to make sure they are receiving what they need. You can help to support the RSPCA in a number of ways – by becoming a sponsor, leaving a gift in your will, or donating online.
5. Dogs Trust
Dogs provide comfort, support, friendship and companionship for thousands of people across the UK. And Dogs Trust believe that all dogs deserve to live life to the full. Dogs Trust has been working since 1891 to try and make sure that any dog in distress is supported, through rehoming, rehabilitation and services offering advice to owners. As one of the best animal charities for dogs in the UK, they have 22 rehoming centres across the UK and Ireland and also a fostering scheme so that pups who haven’t found their forever family are loved and cared for. Along with donating to support Dogs Trust, you can become a foster carer, sponsor a dog or volunteer.
6. PDSA
The PDSA is a charity which helps to support pet owners who can’t afford medical care for their furry friends. They’ve been established for over 100 years, with 48 pet hospitals across the country. This animal welfare charity also works in communities and schools to help educate the public about pet wellbeing, plus offering out information to pet owners about how to prevent their animals getting ill in the first place and to try and ensure they can live as healthily and happily as possible.
7. The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary was founded in the 1960s when Dr Elisabeth Svendsen bought a donkey called Naughty Face. She fell in love and bought Naughty Face a friend – the first donkeys of around 20,000 which would come under The Donkey Sanctuary’s care. The Donkey Sanctuary has six centres caring for donkeys across the UK, providing rehabilitation and rehoming for donkeys in need. They also work internationally in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, educating owners on donkey welfare. They also have campaign work such as stopping the donkey skin trade. You can support The Donkey Sanctuary by adopting a donkey or donating online.
8. World Animal Protection
World Animal Protection – originally the WSPA – is one of the best animal charities working to take on the systems globally which fuel animal abuse – such as tourism which exploits animals, protecting their habitats and transforming the global food system for the protection of animals. You can donate online to support World Animal Protection.
Ways to support animal welfare charities
There are various ways you can get involved in supporting animal welfare charities. These include:
- Volunteering
- Making a one-off donation
- Setting up a monthly donation
- Helping to promote the charity’s work on your social media platforms or in your local area
- Organising or participating in a fundraising event
It’s easy to set up a fundraising event using GoFundMe. Just decide what you want to do and set up your page in a few simple steps. You can ask friends and family to donate and share your page on social media to generate more interest. Alternatively, you can search for other peoples’ GoFundMe pages for the charity you want to support and sponsor them in a few clicks.
Fundraise for animals on GoFundMe
Along with donating or sponsoring any of these charities, there’s also the option for you to start your own GoFundMe to benefit them. We’ve got a range of fundraising ideas here that could inspire you to get started – from a marathon for the RSPCA or a coffee morning for Cats Protection – the possibilities are endless.
Thousands of pounds get raised to support animal charities on GoFundMe each year and you can discover some animal fundraisers to support here.