World Animal Protection
World Animal Protection is an international non-governmental organization committed to ending animal cruelty and suffering through advocacy, policy influence, and on-the-ground interventions, with a primary focus on reforming food systems and curbing the exploitation of wild animals.[1]
Tracing its origins to 1950 with the formation of the World Federation for the Protection of Animals, the organization emerged in its current form in 1981 following the merger of that entity with the International Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and underwent a rebranding from World Society for the Protection of Animals in 2014 to better align with its evolving mission.[2][1]
Over its 75-year history, World Animal Protection has achieved notable successes, including pioneering animal rescue during disasters—such as the 1964 Suriname flood evacuation of 10,000 animals—and vaccinating over a million dogs against rabies while contributing to policy changes in 64 countries to protect canine populations.[2][3] The group operates globally, lobbying governments, partnering with industries for welfare improvements, and exposing practices like commercial wildlife farming, which confines an estimated 5.5 billion wild animals in substandard conditions, though its campaigns against animal entertainment and certain trades have drawn opposition from affected sectors prioritizing economic interests over welfare reforms.[4][5]