From the countless rescues, investigations and welfare advice on the frontline; to those at animal centres, and volunteers and branches across Wales all playing their part - it has been non-stop for RSPCA Cymru.

This year also saw proposals to ban greyhound racing move forward in the Welsh Parliament - and the RSPCA and its Cut the Chase coalition partners look forward to continuing to work with Senedd Members as this legislation progresses in 2026.

Next year is another really important one for animal welfare as Wales approaches the 2026 Senedd election - with the RSPCA working hard to try and influence the manifestos of political parties across Wales in the hope that ambitions to create a better world for every kind of animal is firmly on the agenda.

In 2025 the RSPCA revealed that more people care about animals in Wales than in any other UK nation. Findings from the RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index - the charity’s annual survey into the UK’s attitude towards animals - showed that Wales has the highest proportion of animal lovers, with 75 per cent of people here classing themselves as such. That’s higher than Scotland (72 per cent), England (70 per cent), and Northern Ireland (69 per cent).

But it has been a challenging year as reports of animals being abandoned have sky-rocketed in Wales - with incidents raised with the RSPCA rising by 12.5% percent in the first ten months of the year.

In the same 10 months in 2025 there was also a 14% rise in neglect reports in Wales exposing an animal welfare crisis.

Today (1 January), the RSPCA has also revealed more than 634,000 users visited the RSPCA website in 2025 to report concerns from across England and Wales, with 7,279 visits in the Christmas period from December 24 to 29.

RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said: “Every single day throughout the year, our teams rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of animals with very special backgrounds and stories of triumph over adversity. With New Year upon us, we’re proud to showcase how animal lovers in Wales have supported us to help so many animals survive in so many situations.

“For more than 200 years, the RSPCA has been working tirelessly to bring animals to safety and give them the expert treatment and compassion they deserve - but we can’t do that without the support of fellow animal lovers. If you care about animals, it’s time to turn that care into action. Help rescue, heal and protect suffering animals by joining The Big Give Back to Animals to help them live the lives they deserve.”

More information on the RSPCA’s ‘Big Give Back to Animals’ can be found on the charity’s website.