Celebrate With Us!
The PawPrints Awards Gala brings together the people and organisations leading the way in animal welfare. Join us for an evening of recognition, learning and connection - celebrating practical, innovative work that makes a real difference for animals.
Headline Sponsor: Animal Friends Insurance (AFI)
We're delighted to welcome Animal Friends Insurance (AFI) as our 2025 headline sponsor - newly joining PawPrints this year. AFI is Pet Insurer of the Year 2024/25 and a multi-award-winning company founded to provide exceptional pet insurance while championing animal welfare. To date, they’ve donated £9 million+ to 830+ charities and conservancies worldwide.
Find out more about AFI online here.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 13 November 2025
Location: The Met Hotel, Leeds
Format: Afternoon workshop & learning sessions, followed by the evening PawPrints Awards Ceremony and networking reception.
Timings (TBC):
Daytime workshops: 12:30 – 16:15
Evening awards ceremony & reception: 18:00 – 21:30
[REGISTRATION BUTTON]What to Expect
Workshop & learning
Practical, interactive sessions tackling real-world challenges - from enforcement and policy to partnership working and innovation.
Awards ceremony
The evening will shine a spotlight on the very best in public sector animal welfare. We’ll celebrate achievements across our core categories — Stray Dog Services, Animal Activity Licensing, Housing, Contingency Planning, and Kennelling — alongside our new Hero Awards, recognising individuals who go above and beyond on the ground.
In addition, a series of special awards will honour those making an exceptional difference:
Special Recognition Award – for outstanding personal contribution to animal welfare.
Innovator in Animal Welfare Award – for creative and impactful solutions that deliver real change.
Massingham Advocacy Award – for championing animals through policy and public debate.
NEW: Withnall Partnerships Award – recognising exemplary collaboration between agencies and organisations. This award will be revealed and presented on the night.
Networking
Meet colleagues from local government, police, charities and partner agencies. Share ideas, swap tools that work, and spark new collaborations.
Why Attend?
- Inspiration: Hear grounded, practical stories from people delivering impact.
Recognition: Celebrate teams and individuals making animals’ lives better.
Learning: Take away ideas, templates and approaches you can use.
Connections: Build your network across the public sector and beyond.
Tickets & Registration
Standard ticket: £80 per person (incl. VAT)
Discounts for eligible bookings:
Super Early Bird – 10% off (£72): for entries submitted by Fri 18 July 2025
Early Bird – 5% off (£76): for entries submitted 19 July–Fri 8 August 2025
Group – 10% off (£72): for bookings of 4–6 tickets
For group bookings (4+), invoicing, accessibility needs or questions about eligibility, contact Lee Gingell at lee.gingell@rspca.org.uk.
Sponsorship
Align your brand with the UK’s only awards scheme recognising local public sector leadership for animal welfare. To discuss sponsorship opportunities, email lee.gingell@rspca.org.uk.
Event schedule:
- 12:30 PM: Registration & Refreshments
- 13:00 PM: Welcome & Workshop(s)
- 15:30 PM: Workshop(s) End
- 17:00 PM: Ceremony Arrival & Networking
- 17:45 PM: Awards Ceremony
- 19:00 PM: Post-Ceremony Reception & Networking
- 21:00 PM: Event Ends
**Please note this schedule is subject to change. Full and final schedule to be provided closer to the event.
Stay Updated
We’ll share speaker announcements, session details and the full programme in the run-up to the event.
Follow @RSPCA_PATeam and #PawPrintsAwards2025 for updates.
Questions?
Contact Lee Gingell — lee.gingell@rspca.org.uk.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you in Leeds!