The results
Every year, the RSPCA produces a report that measures how the UK is performing with regard to its animals. We look at a variety of issues, including animal fighting, the research and testing of primates, the impact of litter on swans and the number of dogs and cats that are microchipped each year. Each animal welfare indicator is awarded a traffic light to see what changes, if any, have happened over the past year.
The report helps the RSPCA and the UK as a whole find out where the problems are, what solutions are needed and hopefully, where improvements are being made.
Read the latest report
Did you know?
- Chickens make sounds with actual meaning. They have about 20 separate calls, including different alarm calls for different predators.
- Chickens have a visual field of 330° (humans is 90°)
- The chicken is believed to be descended from the south east Asian red jungle fowl
- The colour of a hens ear lobe indicates whether the colour of the eggshell will be white or brown
- Poultry used for commercial egg production are different breeds from those used to produce meat.
- Modern commercial breeds of laying hen lay an average of about 300 eggs a year.
- There are about 30 million laying hens in the UK, that's roughly one hen for every two people
- Sheep that are grazing take can take over 22 bites of grass every minute.
- A sheep's fleece not only keeps them warm in winter, but also insulates them from and reflects the sun's rays to help keep them cool in summer. A sheep’s fleece also contains a natural wax called lanolin, which helps waterproof them from the rain.
- Sheep have good memories and it is thought that they can remember the faces of at least 50 other sheep within their flock.
- Sheep do not have any upper incisors (front teeth), but instead have a hard dental pad made of cartilage.
- Almost half the world's pigs are reared in China
- Pigs are susceptible to travel sickness
- Pigs cannot sweat, they pant when hot