PARTNERSHIPS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
Local public sector services play a vital role in protecting animal welfare and supporting the people who care for them. Working together can help us identify concerns earlier and coordinate action to prevent animal cruelty, neglect, and suffering.
Whether you work in housing, environmental health, community safety, mental health support or emergency planning, there may be opportunities to strengthen your organisation's relationship with the RSPCA.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can provide a clear framework for that relationship, helping turn shared priorities into practical cooperation.
WHAT IS AN MOU?
An MOU sets out how your organisation and the RSPCA intend to work together on animal welfare. It clarifies our respective roles and responsibilities, establishes points of contact, and creates a shared understanding of how we can support each other's work.
Our model MOU is a starting point for discussion. We'll review its scope and wording together, taking account of your organisation's responsibilities, local priorities, and the resources available to both organisations.
HOW COULD IT SUPPORT YOUR WORK?
Depending on your organisation's role and the agreement we develop together, an MOU could support:
Clear points of contact
Help staff connect with the right colleagues and build effective working relationships between our organisations.
Better liaison and referrals
Clarify how we communicate and make referrals when animal welfare concerns overlap with your organisation's responsibilities.
Appropiate information sharing
Agree arrangements for sharing relevant information and data to support timely referrals and coordinated responses.
Prevention and early support
Explore joint advice, public awareness campaigns and signposting to help prevent animal welfare problems from developing or escalating.
Planning for emergencies
Consider how we can coordinate when emergencies affect animals and the people responsible for their care.
Learning from each other
Share knowledge, expertise and good practice to strengthen understanding of animal welfare.
START A CONVERSATION
You may want to build a new working relationship, strengthen an existing partnership, or explore how we could work together on a particular issue.
You're welcome to get in touch while your ideas are still taking shape. An initial conversation can help us understand your priorities and whether an MOU would support your work.
Tell us your name, contact details, organisation and role, along with the areas of cooperation you'd like to explore. Our team will follow up to discuss your enquiry.
Registering interest does not commit your organisation to signing an agreement.
YOU'VE REGISTERED - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
- Discuss your priorities: we'll talk about your organisation's responsibilities, the issues you'd like to address, and your current working relationship with the RSPCA.
- Get the right people in the room: we'll involve relevant colleagues from both organisations to explore what an agreement could cover.
- Develop the agreement together: if both organisations wish to proceed, we'll review the wording together and seek the necessary internal approvals before signing.
CONTACT US
For questions about working with the RSPCA or exploring an MOU, contact our Prevention and Partnerships team at preventionandpartnership@rspca.org.uk.