History

 The beginning

WSPA was created in 1981 through the merger of two organisations:

• The World Federation for the Protection of Animals (WFPA), founded in 1953. 
• The International Society for the Protection of Animals (ISPA), founded in 1959.

Today

• WSPA has 13 offices worldwide and over 400,000 individual supporters.
• WSPA is also the world‘s largest network of animal protection specialists having a network of over 700 animal protection societies in over 146 countries.
• The society is represented on numerous international bodies and is the only animal welfare organization to have consultative status at both the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

Our work

A key area of WSPA‘s work has been the introduction of animal welfare principles into regions where they were previously under developed or non-existent, such as introducing procedures to ensure the humane slaughter of livestock in many developing countries and running numerous projects to improve the conditions of stray animal populations.

A few highlights from WSPA’s first 25 years include:

• The eradication of bear dancing in Greece and Turkey.
• For the first time, a Spanish city (Barcelona), declared itself as “anti-bullfight”.
• From Sri Lanka to Afghanistan and Pakistan to The Caribbean, hundreds of thousands of animals have been rescued and treated in disaster relief efforts all over the world.
• First ever animal welfare legislation introduced in Taiwan. For the first time, it is illegal in Taiwan to abuse, maltreat or abandon an animal.
• Bear sanctuaries funded and built in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Greece, USA and Hungary.
• Mobile veterinary clinics delivered to member organisations in Africa, Europe, South America, The Caribbean and Asia.
• ‘Pet Respect’ programmes launched in over 40 countries worldwide to improve the welfare of stray and pet animals.
• Vietnamese Government agreement to phase out bear farming.
• Great ape sanctuaries funded in Sierra Leone, The Congo and Spain.

We are immensely proud of what we have already achieved because of the generosity and dedication of our supporters.

With your continued support, we will achieve even more in the next 25 years.

Read more about WSPA‘s achievements over the past 25 years

25 Years of Wildlife Protection >>

25 Years of Influence >>

25 Years of Disaster Relief >>

25 Years of Domestic Animal Protection >>

In 25 Years Time? >>