World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/are-cheetahs-endangered): The Cheetah: Fastest Land Animal, Vulnerable to Extinction.

## Briefing
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal — capable of 100 km/h sprints over short distances — and one of the most ecologically specialised big cats. It needs large open landscapes, low competition from larger predators, and an abundance of small-to-medium antelope. All three are in decline. WARN is preparing to operate in Kenya and Tanzania , two countries that between them hold an important share of the East African cheetah population. How many cheetahs are left? Reliable continental estimates place the wild cheetah population at 6,500-7,100 individuals , mostly across southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe) and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania), with smaller fragmented populations elsewhere. The Asiatic cheetah — once found from the Middle East to India — is now reduced to a tiny relict population in Iran of fewer than 50 individuals, Critically Endangered. The threats Habitat loss and prey depletion. Cheetahs need wide-ranging open habitat. Fencing, farming and livestock grazing fragment the landscape and replace wild prey with cattle. Retaliatory killing. Cheetahs that take goats or calves are shot or poisoned. Cheetahs do far less livestock damage than larger predators per kilo of meat taken, but they are easier to kill. Illegal pet trade. Cheetah cubs are trafficked out of the Horn of Africa to Gulf-state buyers. The mortality rate among smuggled cubs is high; CITES and UNODC have repeatedly flagged this supply chain. Competition with larger predators. Cheetahs lose roughly half of their kills to lions and hyenas, and lion populations in protected areas can suppress cheetah numbers. What is working Livestock-guarding-dog programmes in Namibia and Botswana have produced measurable reductions in retaliatory killing. Conservancy models that share tourism revenue with pastoralist communities are reducing conflict in northern Kenya. The cub-trafficking supply chain remains under-enforced. How WARN fits in Cheetahs are not yet a WARN appeal. Our planned snare-removal work addresses one of the meaningful indirect threats to cheetahs — wire snares set for bushmeat — and our long-term Kenya and Tanzania work will operate in the same landscapes as cheetah conservation. We will not claim direct cheetah impact. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNEP-WCMC, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-report-wildlife-trafficking): How to Report Wildlife Trafficking: A Practical Guide for Travellers and Online Buyers.

## Summary
To report wildlife trafficking, contact the national wildlife enforcement agency of the country where you observed the activity, your home-country customs authority if products are being imported, and INTERPOL's wildlife crime working group via local police; for online listings, report to the platform and to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal.

## Excerpt
If you have seen a live animal in a market, a wildlife product in a shop, or a suspicious online listing, here is how to report it — and who actually acts on the information.

## Takeaway
In-country reporting (the country where you observed the activity) is almost always the first call — local wildlife or forestry authorities.

## Takeaway
UK reporting: National Wildlife Crime Unit (nwcu.police.uk) and Border Force at point of import.

## Takeaway
Online listings: report to the platform first, then to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal.

## Takeaway
Photograph and geotag the evidence safely; do not confront sellers.

## Takeaway
Reports with location, photo, date and species identification are acted on far more often than vague reports.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-report-wildlife-trafficking): How to Report Wildlife Trafficking: A Practical Guide for Travellers and Online Buyers.

## Briefing
Wildlife trafficking is consistently ranked by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as one of the largest illicit industries in the world. Most successful enforcement actions begin with a member-of-the-public report. This guide explains how to make one that gets acted on. Before you do anything: safety first Wildlife trafficking is organised crime. Do not confront sellers, do not film conspicuously, and do not buy "to rescue" the animal — buying a trafficked animal directly funds the next capture. Take a photograph if you can do so safely, note the location, time, currency listed, and any details you remember about the seller and any other animals or products on display. Step 1: Report in the country where you saw it Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia: the relevant national forestry or wildlife department, plus the in-country office of established conservation NGOs (which often have hotlines). Kenya, Tanzania: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA). Pakistan: the relevant provincial wildlife department in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan. Colombia, Peru: autoridad ambiental — in Colombia, ANLA or the regional Corporación Autónoma; in Peru, SERFOR. Step 2: Report at home if products are being imported If wildlife products are on sale in shops or markets in your home country, your customs and wildlife-crime enforcement bodies are the right route. In the UK, that means Border Force at point of import and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) for in-country reports. Step 3: Report online listings For social-media or marketplace listings of trafficked wildlife, report directly to the platform (Meta, TikTok, eBay all have wildlife policies) and to TRAFFIC's Wildlife Trade Portal. Online sales now account for a substantial proportion of exotic-pet trafficking globally. What makes a report act-on-able Photo or screenshot. Date and time. Precise location (geotag or named landmark). Species identification — even an honest "looks like a sun bear cub" is more useful than "a brown animal." Whether the animal is alive or a product (skin, bone, horn). What WARN can and cannot do WARN is not a law-enforcement agency. We cannot intervene directly. What we are being built to do is fund the in-country veterinary and sanctuary capacity that enforcement actions depend on — animals seized in raids need somewhere safe to go, or seizures don't happen. Sources: UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report, CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL Environmental Security Programme, TRAFFIC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-help-street-dogs-abroad): How to Help Street Dogs Abroad: An Honest Guide for Travellers.

## Summary
The most effective way to help street dogs abroad is to support an established in-country rescue or catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) programme financially; rescuing individual dogs back to your home country is expensive, slow, and a low-impact use of the same money.

## Excerpt
Encountering injured or distressed street dogs while travelling is one of the most common animal-welfare experiences for British holidaymakers. Here is what actually helps — and what makes things worse.

## Takeaway
Catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) at ~70% sterilisation coverage is the WHO/WOAH-endorsed approach.

## Takeaway
Most community dogs are not strays — they are bonded to a territory and to specific feeders.

## Takeaway
Individual international adoptions are slow (often 6+ months), expensive (typically £1,500-3,500), and a low-impact use of funds.

## Takeaway
The same money funds 60-100 CNVR surgeries in a Pakistan or Vietnam partner shelter.

## Takeaway
Always vaccinate against rabies before travelling to high-rabies countries.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-help-street-dogs-abroad): How to Help Street Dogs Abroad: An Honest Guide for Travellers.

## Briefing
You are on holiday. You see a thin, injured, friendly dog outside your guesthouse. What do you do? This guide is the honest answer. WARN is being built to fund the kind of in-country programmes that make this question answerable at scale; in the meantime, here is what we recommend to British travellers. Understand what you are looking at In most countries where WARN is preparing to operate, dogs in public spaces are not strays in the British sense. They are community dogs — descended from generations of dogs born on the street, often bonded to a territory and to specific feeders, frequently named and recognised by neighbours. Removing them is rarely welfare-positive: a relocated community dog is a stressed, isolated dog with no territorial claim and no food source. What helps Support the local CNVR programme financially. The catch-neuter-vaccinate-return model — endorsed by WHO and WOAH — is the only approach with strong evidence of reducing dog populations humanely while preventing dog-mediated human rabies. Report injured or sick animals to a local rescue. Use the venue, hotel or guesthouse to find a contact — many established rescues have WhatsApp hotlines. Feed sensibly if you choose to. Plain meat, plain rice, plain water. No chocolate, no spiced food, no leaving food in plastic that the dog will eat. Donate to a registered dog welfare charity working in that country — your money goes 10-100x further than your time. What does not help Calling animal control. In many countries this still means culling. "Rescuing" the dog back to the UK. The DEFRA import requirements involve rabies titre testing, microchipping, tapeworm treatment, EU-compliant pet passports and minimum waiting periods of three months or more after vaccination. Costs typically run £1,500-3,500 per dog including transport. The same money funds dozens of in-country surgeries. Removing the dog from its territory. Even short-term — you are taking a community member out of a working ecosystem. If the dog is in genuine medical emergency Call a local rescue if there is one. If not, the venue staff can usually direct you to a veterinarian who will treat strays. Offer to pay for the treatment — typical costs are a tiny fraction of UK equivalents. Then return the dog to where you found it. Your own rabies risk WHO estimates around 59,000 human rabies deaths each year worldwide, almost all from dog bites. Pre-travel rabies vaccination is strongly recommended for the countries WARN works in. Any dog bite or scratch requires immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Do not delay. Help the rescue dogs WARN is being built for WARN's launch programme in Karachi will fund partner dog rescues and the animal shelter capacity they urgently need — humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return work, veterinary care for injured street dogs, and responsible in-country adoption of rescue dogs into safe Pakistani homes. Read the Karachi street dogs appeal for the full plan, or donate today to fund our first surgeries, vaccinations and shelter weeks. Every pound helps another rescue dog get a fair start.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-sponsor-an-animal): How to Sponsor an Animal: What Charity Animal Sponsorships Actually Fund.

## Summary
Most charity animal sponsorships are a regular donation — usually monthly — that funds the rescue or care programme an animal belongs to, with the sponsor receiving an information pack, updates and (sometimes) a named animal; the animal itself is not legally yours.

## Excerpt
Animal sponsorship is one of the most popular ways to support conservation and welfare work — and one of the most opaque. Here is what to look for, and what to avoid.

## Takeaway
Sponsorship is a regular donation, not animal ownership — your money funds a programme.

## Takeaway
Look for charities that publish how the sponsorship money is split between direct animal care and general fundraising.

## Takeaway
A real sponsored animal exists, but the funds are usually used at programme level.

## Takeaway
Monthly £5-15 sponsorships are the most common UK price point; £25+ funds more direct care.

## Takeaway
Avoid sponsorships that promise unrealistic personalisation (private visits, daily updates, etc.) from low-cost packages.

## Briefing
Animal sponsorship is one of the most popular ways the British public supports wildlife and welfare charities. It is also one of the most opaque, because the marketing language ("adopt", "sponsor", "your animal") implies a degree of personal ownership that is rarely the legal or operational reality. This guide is the honest version. WARN is preparing its own sponsorship offer (see our sponsor page ) and we wrote this to help British donors interrogate every sponsorship offer — including ours. What sponsorship actually is An animal sponsorship is a regular donation (usually monthly) to a charity that operates a rescue, sanctuary or conservation programme. The donation is used at programme level — to fund vet care, feed, staff, sanctuary infrastructure and the broader organisation. A real animal exists, and the charity uses that animal as a representative example of the work your money funds. What you should expect A welcome pack with the animal's story, photo and basic information. Periodic (typically quarterly) updates. An honest description of what your sponsorship funds — care, programme, or general charitable purposes. A registered charity number and recent published accounts. What you should be cautious of Inflated personalisation promises. A £5/month sponsorship cannot fund a private visit or a personalised monthly video. Watch for over-promise. Vague allocation language. "Your money helps animals like Mary" with no further detail is a warning sign. No published accounts. Every UK registered charity publishes accounts via the Charity Commission. Check them. Promises that conflict with welfare best practice. Sanctuary sponsorships that involve riding, performing or hand-feeding wildlife are welfare-compromised regardless of the language used. How WARN's sponsorship offer works WARN's sponsorship offer is in development for our 2026 launch. We are deliberately publishing the sponsor page before we go live so that the offer can be reviewed by donors and partners. Our principle is simple: sponsorship money funds the rescue programme it is allocated to, with no inflated personalisation, no welfare-compromised photo opportunities, and full annual accounting on what it paid for. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/ethical-wildlife-tourism-checklist): Ethical Wildlife Tourism: A Practical Checklist Before You Book.

## Summary
Ethical wildlife tourism funds in-country conservation and welfare work without compromising animal welfare; the clearest test is whether animals are free to perform their natural behaviours, with no riding, no touching of wild species, no performance shows, and no enforced human contact.

## Excerpt
Wildlife tourism funds a great deal of important conservation work — and a lot of welfare-harmful exploitation. Here is how to tell the difference before you book.

## Takeaway
Riding, touching, hugging or hand-feeding wild species are red flags.

## Takeaway
Bathing experiences with captive elephants are now widely considered welfare-compromised even at "sanctuaries".

## Takeaway
Look for accreditation from an established welfare body (Global Sanctuary Federation, GFAS, etc.).

## Takeaway
If the animal must be chained, restrained or sedated for the experience, it is not ethical.

## Takeaway
Photo selfies with wild species are an extraction-and-cycle business: avoid them entirely.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/ethical-wildlife-tourism-checklist): Ethical Wildlife Tourism: A Practical Checklist Before You Book.

## Briefing
Wildlife tourism is one of the largest sources of conservation funding worldwide, and one of the largest sources of welfare-compromised captive-wildlife exploitation. Both statements are true. The challenge for the ethical traveller is telling them apart. WARN is preparing to operate in Thailand , one of the centres of the global wildlife-tourism debate. This checklist is what we tell our own partners to use. Red flags — avoid entirely Riding wild species. Elephants, ostriches, camels in tourism settings — all welfare-compromised. Touching, hugging or holding wild species. Tigers, lions, monkeys, slow lorises, sloths, baby crocodiles. The animals are usually sedated, hand-reared away from mothers, or trained with aversive methods. Performance shows. Dolphin shows, elephant football, monkey shows. Welfare science has been clear on these for decades. Walking-with experiences. Walking-with-lions, walking-with-cheetahs operations are typically a feeder system for the captive-breeding industry. Bathing-with-elephants. Increasingly recognised as welfare-compromised even at facilities calling themselves sanctuaries — the elephants are typically restrained or trained into compliance. Green flags — these are usually fine Observation from a distance, with the animal free to leave. Genuine non-contact sanctuaries — animals retire there for life, with no riding, touching or performance. Wild safaris and birding in established national parks, with experienced guides. Marine snorkelling in areas without baiting or feeding. Questions to ask before booking "Are animals chained, restrained or in performance shows?" If yes, do not book. "Is touching or riding offered?" If yes, do not book. "What happens to the animals at the end of their working life?" If the answer is unclear, do not book. "Is the facility accredited by an external welfare body?" GFAS and similar accreditations exist for a reason. "What proportion of revenue funds animal care?" Reputable sanctuaries can answer this. How WARN fits in WARN is being built to support genuine non-contact captive-wildlife sanctuary work in Thailand and Cambodia — for elephants who can no longer work, for confiscated trafficked species, for animals who cannot be safely returned to the wild. We will publish our partner sanctuary criteria as our 2026 operations come online. Sources: WOAH captive-wildlife welfare guidance, World Animal Protection captive-wildlife reports, UNEP responsible-tourism guidance. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-leave-a-gift-in-your-will): How to Leave a Gift in Your Will to an Animal Charity.

## Summary
To leave a gift in your will to an animal charity, you ask your solicitor to add a clause to your will — naming the charity, its registered number, and either a fixed sum (pecuniary legacy), a specific asset (specific legacy), or a percentage of your residual estate (residuary legacy); gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax.

## Excerpt
Legacy gifts to animal charities make up roughly a third of all charitable giving in the UK. Here is how the practical mechanics work — and why we recommend an inheritance-tax-efficient legacy gift even if you can only afford a small one.

## Takeaway
Three legacy types: pecuniary (fixed sum), specific (named asset), residuary (% of what remains).

## Takeaway
Residuary legacies are inflation-proof — a fixed sum from 2026 may be worth less in 2046.

## Takeaway
Gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax.

## Takeaway
Leaving 10% or more of your estate to charity reduces the inheritance tax rate on the rest of your estate from 40% to 36%.

## Takeaway
You always need a solicitor to draft or amend a will — DIY wills are a common source of family disputes.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-leave-a-gift-in-your-will): How to Leave a Gift in Your Will to an Animal Charity.

## Briefing
Legacy giving — leaving a gift to charity in your will — is the single largest source of voluntary income for UK charities and accounts for roughly a third of all charitable giving in the country. For animal charities in particular it is often the difference between continuing and closing. WARN is World Animal Rescue Network CIC (Company number 17298990), a registered Community Interest Company — not a registered charity. A gift to WARN in your will would not qualify for the inheritance-tax exemption described below — if inheritance-tax efficiency is your main goal, a registered animal charity is the right home for that part of your legacy. We are writing this guide because we want supporters who plan to remember us in their wills to understand how legacy giving works. The three types of legacy gift Pecuniary legacy. A fixed sum of money. Easy to plan but loses value to inflation over time. Specific legacy. A named asset — a property, a vehicle, an item of value. Residuary legacy. A percentage of whatever remains in your estate after other gifts, debts and tax. Inflation-proof and the most common form. The inheritance-tax piece Gifts to UK-registered charities are exempt from inheritance tax. If you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity, the rate of inheritance tax on the rest of your estate falls from 40% to 36% — a real and underused benefit. What you need from the charity Registered charity name (legal name, not trading name). Registered charity number. Registered office address. A standard wording the charity itself recommends. WARN is a CIC rather than a registered charity, so we do not have a charity number — our registered company name is World Animal Rescue Network CIC, company number 17298990, registered office 71-75 Shelton Street, London, England, WC2H 9JQ. Your solicitor should use the exact legal name and company number in any will clause. Use a solicitor DIY wills are a common source of family disputes and a regular cause of intended legacies failing in probate. Use a STEP-qualified solicitor or a Will Aid / Free Wills Month month if cost is a barrier. What WARN promises Our promise on legacy gifts is the same as our promise on every other gift: full annual accounting, no hidden administration charges, and clear allocation of the funds to the rescue programmes the donor named. A residuary legacy gift to WARN funds frontline rescue work — not corporate overheads. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-spot-illegal-wildlife-products): How to Spot Illegal Wildlife Products in Markets, Shops and Online.

## Summary
The main categories of illegal wildlife products encountered by British travellers are ivory, tortoiseshell, big-cat skins and teeth, traditional-medicine animal parts, coral and shells, hardwood items, exotic-leather products from CITES species, and any live wildlife or wildlife eggs — almost all of which require CITES permits even to import legally.

## Excerpt
Most British travellers who buy an illegal wildlife product do so unknowingly. Here is how to recognise the main categories before you buy.

## Takeaway
All ivory, including "antique" ivory, is heavily restricted under UK law (Ivory Act 2018).

## Takeaway
Tortoiseshell is from real sea turtles (Hawksbill) and is CITES Appendix I — never legal to buy.

## Takeaway
Any souvenir made from coral, shell, hardwood, exotic skin or animal part may require CITES permits.

## Takeaway
Traditional-medicine products listing bear, tiger, pangolin or rhino are illegal — substitute claims are usually false.

## Takeaway
Live wildlife or eggs are almost never legal to take across a border without permits.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/how-to-spot-illegal-wildlife-products): How to Spot Illegal Wildlife Products in Markets, Shops and Online.

## Briefing
Most British travellers who end up unwittingly trafficking an illegal wildlife product do so as a souvenir buyer in a foreign market. Customs seizures at UK airports include carved ivory, tortoiseshell jewellery, big-cat teeth, traditional-medicine packages and reptile-skin handbags every week of the year. This guide is a practical primer. The legal authority is CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — which controls trade in 38,000+ animal and plant species through three Appendices. The high-risk product categories Ivory. Elephant, hippo, walrus, narwhal. The UK Ivory Act 2018 makes most ivory sales illegal even within the UK. Antique-claim ivory is almost always either modern or from another protected species. Tortoiseshell. Real tortoiseshell jewellery is from the Hawksbill sea turtle — Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix I. Any honey-amber-coloured "tortoiseshell" item should be assumed illegal. Big-cat parts. Skins, teeth, claws, bones. All major big cats (tiger, leopard, snow leopard, jaguar, cheetah) are CITES-listed; trafficking is a UNODC enforcement priority. Traditional-medicine animal parts. Bear-bile products, tiger-bone wine, pangolin scales, rhino-horn powder. Almost universally illegal to import. Coral, shell and marine items. Several coral species and many large molluscs are CITES Appendix II. The giant clam is restricted. Hardwood and rosewood. Many tropical hardwoods used in carvings and musical instruments are CITES Appendix II. Exotic leather. Crocodile, python, monitor lizard — most CITES Appendix II and require export permits. Live wildlife and eggs. Parrots, reptiles, primates, eggs — almost never legal to remove from a country without permits. How to handle it on the day If a vendor cannot produce a CITES permit, do not buy. If you have already bought something and are unsure, declare it on arrival in the UK — declared and surrendered items typically result in confiscation only; undeclared items can mean fines and prosecution. If you see organised trafficking See our guide to reporting wildlife trafficking for the practical steps. Sources: CITES, UNODC, UK Border Force, NWCU. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/volunteer-overseas-with-animals-guide): How to Volunteer Overseas With Animals — Without Doing Harm.

## Summary
Ethical overseas animal volunteering requires that you bring useful skills (veterinary, husbandry, construction, education, fundraising), that you pay your own way, that you do not work directly with cubs or hand-rear wild species, and that the placement is with an established sanctuary or research project — not a tourist attraction marketed as conservation.

## Excerpt
Volunteer-with-wildlife programmes have a serious welfare problem. Here is how to find a placement that actually helps — and what to avoid.

## Takeaway
Avoid all placements that involve hand-rearing, bathing or photo contact with wild species.

## Takeaway
Veterinary, husbandry, construction, education and fundraising are the genuinely useful volunteer skills.

## Takeaway
Pay-to-volunteer rates of £500-2,000+ per week are common — at least 50% should be flowing into the sanctuary.

## Takeaway
Cub-petting placements feed into the canned-hunting and exotic-pet industries. Avoid entirely.

## Takeaway
Established research institutions, accredited sanctuaries and veterinary NGOs are the safer choices.

## Briefing
Overseas wildlife volunteering is one of the most popular forms of voluntourism in the UK. It is also, in too many cases, a welfare disaster dressed up as conservation. Tiger-cub feeding, lion-cub petting, elephant-bathing — these placements look like rescue and are, in the worst cases, the consumer-facing end of the canned-hunting and captive-breeding industries. WARN is preparing to operate in several countries where ethical wildlife volunteering also exists. This guide is how to find it. Bring a useful skill Veterinary nursing or veterinary medicine. Most useful skill in a rescue setting. Animal husbandry. Cleaning, feeding, basic enrichment. Construction and maintenance. Sanctuaries always need fences, enclosures and water systems repaired. Education and community engagement. Local-language education is best done by local educators — non-local volunteers usually add value as funders or trainers, not deliverers. Photography, writing, web work, accountancy. Sanctuaries are NGOs and need NGO skills. Red flags Cub feeding, hand-rearing, bathing. No legitimate sanctuary lets paying volunteers handle infant wild animals. Photo packages. If you can pay extra for selfies with the animals, the operation is welfare-compromised. Volunteer-as-keeper structures. If volunteers are responsible for life-or-death animal care, the sanctuary is under-staffed. No published charitable registration. Established sanctuaries can produce their registration documents on request. Cost transparency Pay-to-volunteer placements typically cost £500-2,000+ per week. A defensible operation publishes how that fee is split between accommodation, food, training, sanctuary support and operator margin. If you cannot get that breakdown, walk away. What WARN supports WARN does not operate its own overseas volunteer programme. We support partner sanctuaries that meet the criteria above. As we launch, we will publish a list of accredited partner placements that British supporters can apply to directly. See our get involved page for the current status. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/leopard-vs-jaguar-vs-cheetah): Leopard vs Jaguar vs Cheetah: How to Tell the Three Spotted Cats Apart.

## Summary
Leopards have rosettes without inner spots and live in Africa and Asia; jaguars have rosettes with inner spots, a stockier build and live in the Americas; cheetahs have solid round spots (not rosettes), a slender greyhound-like build, dark tear-mark stripes and live in Africa.

## Excerpt
Three big cats, three different continents, three completely different ecologies — but they are confused with each other constantly. Here is the simple version.

## Takeaway
Leopard: rosettes (open ring shapes), no inner spots, slim and muscular, Africa and Asia.

## Takeaway
Jaguar: rosettes with inner spots inside them, stocky and powerful, the Americas only.

## Takeaway
Cheetah: solid round spots (not rosettes), slender greyhound build, dark tear-mark stripes, Africa.

## Takeaway
Only the leopard and jaguar are in the genus Panthera; the cheetah is genus Acinonyx and cannot roar.

## Takeaway
All three are CITES-listed and trafficked.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/leopard-vs-jaguar-vs-cheetah): Leopard vs Jaguar vs Cheetah: How to Tell the Three Spotted Cats Apart.

## Briefing
If you have ever stared at a photo and wondered "is that a leopard or a jaguar?" — you are not alone. The three big cats most often mixed up are the leopard, the jaguar and the cheetah. They live on different continents, have different builds, and have completely different ecologies. This is the short version. Coat pattern Leopard. Open ring shapes called rosettes, but with no spot inside the rosette. The rosettes are smaller and closer together than a jaguar's. Jaguar. Open ring shapes — but most rosettes have one or more small spots inside them. Larger and more widely spaced than leopard rosettes. Cheetah. Not rosettes at all — solid round black spots. Plus a distinctive black "tear mark" stripe running from each eye down to the mouth. Build Leopard. Athletic and muscular but slim. A leopard can drag a kill three times its own weight up into a tree. Jaguar. Stocky, powerful, larger head, the strongest bite force pound-for-pound of any big cat. Specialised for ambush and biting through skulls and shells. Cheetah. Slender, long-legged, small head. Built for speed, not power. Cannot retract its claws fully — the only big cat with this trait. Where they live Leopard. Sub-Saharan Africa and across South and Southeast Asia, including the Russian Far East (Amur leopard). One of the most widely distributed big cats. Jaguar. The Americas only — Mexico to northern Argentina. Strongest populations in the Amazon basin, including Colombia , a WARN partner-network country, with Peru as wider range and search context. Cheetah. Sub-Saharan Africa, with a tiny relict population in Iran (the Asiatic cheetah ). The genus point Leopards and jaguars are both in the genus Panthera, alongside lions and tigers. Cheetahs are the only species in the genus Acinonyx. The practical consequence: cheetahs cannot roar (they chirp and purr), while leopards and jaguars can. Conservation status Leopard. Vulnerable globally; some subspecies (Amur, Arabian, Javan) are Critically Endangered. Jaguar. Near Threatened, declining. Cheetah. Vulnerable globally; Asiatic cheetah Critically Endangered. All three are CITES Appendix I or II depending on subspecies and trafficked for skins, teeth and bones. See our illegal wildlife trade topic hub for the wider picture. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-vs-african-elephant): Asian vs African Elephant: The Differences in One Place.

## Summary
African elephants (two species: savanna and forest, both Loxodonta) are larger, have larger ears, both sexes carry tusks, and live wild across Sub-Saharan Africa; the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is smaller, has smaller ears, only some males carry tusks, has a more domed forehead, and is far more often kept in captivity.

## Excerpt
Two species of African elephant, one species of Asian elephant, and a long list of differences that matter for conservation and welfare. Here is the comparison.

## Takeaway
Three species in total — two African (savanna and forest) and one Asian.

## Takeaway
African elephants: larger, larger ears, both sexes tusked, more concave back.

## Takeaway
Asian elephants: smaller, smaller ears, only some males tusked, more domed forehead, more humped back.

## Takeaway
Asian elephants have been domesticated as working animals for over 4,000 years; African elephants have not.

## Takeaway
Both Asian elephant and African forest elephant are Endangered or Critically Endangered.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/asian-vs-african-elephant): Asian vs African Elephant: The Differences in One Place.

## Briefing
"The elephant" is shorthand for three different species — two African and one Asian — with different ranges, different bodies, different ecologies, and very different relationships with humans. WARN is preparing to operate in Thailand and Cambodia (Asian elephant range) and Kenya and Tanzania (African savanna elephant range). The differences matter for our work. Quick comparison Size. African savanna elephant: 4-7 tonnes. African forest elephant: 2-5 tonnes. Asian elephant: 2.5-5 tonnes. Ears. African: large, roughly the shape of the African continent. Asian: smaller and rounded. Tusks. African: both males and females carry tusks. Asian: only some males have full tusks; females have none or small tushes. Forehead. African: flat or slightly sloped. Asian: distinctly domed, with two prominent "bumps". Back. African: concave (dips in the middle). Asian: convex or humped. Trunk tip. African: two finger-like projections. Asian: one finger-like projection. Toenails. African savanna: 4 front / 3 back. Asian: 5 front / 4 back. Conservation status African savanna elephant. Endangered. Estimated 350,000+ wild individuals. African forest elephant. Critically Endangered. Estimated 40,000-65,000. Asian elephant. Endangered. Estimated 41,000-52,000 wild individuals, plus roughly 15,000-18,000 in captivity. The captivity difference The most important practical difference for welfare work: Asian elephants have a 4,000-year history of domestication as working animals — for logging, agriculture, war and ceremony. Roughly a third of all Asian elephants alive today live in captivity, mostly in working camps and tourism. African elephants have never been domesticated at population scale; almost all live wild. The implication for WARN: our planned Asian elephant work (Thailand, Cambodia as wider range and search context) would focus predominantly on captive-elephant welfare and retirement-sanctuary support, while our planned East Africa elephant work (Kenya, Tanzania) would focus on wild-elephant anti-snaring and anti-poaching support. See our briefings on the Asian elephant and the African elephant for the full picture. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES, WOAH captive-elephant welfare guidance, UNEP-WCMC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sun-bear-vs-moon-bear): Sun Bear vs Moon Bear: The Two Most Trafficked Asian Bears.

## Summary
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the world's smallest bear, with a sleek black coat, a U-shaped cream chest patch and a long tongue; the moon bear (Asiatic black bear, Ursus thibetanus) is larger, has a thick ruff of fur around the neck and a clear V-shaped or crescent-shaped white chest patch — both are Vulnerable, both are trafficked for the bear-bile industry.

## Excerpt
The sun bear and the Asiatic black bear (moon bear) are the two most commonly trafficked bears in Asia — for the pet trade, for traditional medicine and for bear-bile farming. Here is how to tell them apart.

## Takeaway
Sun bear: smallest bear species (40-65 kg), sleek coat, U-shaped chest patch, long tongue.

## Takeaway
Moon bear: medium-sized (100-200 kg), thick ruff, V- or crescent-shaped chest patch.

## Takeaway
Both are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; both CITES Appendix I.

## Takeaway
Both are heavily trafficked for gall-bladder bile used in some traditional-medicine markets.

## Takeaway
Vietnam's bear-bile farming industry primarily affects moon bears; sun bears are more often trafficked from the wild.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/sun-bear-vs-moon-bear): Sun Bear vs Moon Bear: The Two Most Trafficked Asian Bears.

## Briefing
If you have heard of bear-bile farming, you have probably heard of one or both of these species. The sun bear and the moon bear are the two bears most affected by the bile-farming industry and the wider Southeast Asian bear trade. WARN's partner-network focus for these bears is Indonesia and Malaysia; other range states such as Vietnam and Cambodia feature as wider search context, and are central to both species' range and to the bile-farming question. Our briefing on moon bears in Vietnam covers the bile industry directly. Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) Size. 40-65 kg — the world's smallest bear. Coat. Short, sleek, jet-black. Chest patch. U-shaped or sun-shaped, cream-yellow. Tongue. Unusually long for extracting insects, honey and termites. Range. Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos. Status. Vulnerable; CITES Appendix I. Moon bear (Asiatic black bear, Ursus thibetanus) Size. 100-200 kg — much larger than the sun bear. Coat. Long, shaggy, with a distinctive thick ruff around the neck. Chest patch. V-shaped or crescent-shaped (hence "moon bear"), white. Range. Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Himalayas, Vietnam, China, the Russian Far East, Japan. Status. Vulnerable; CITES Appendix I. The bile-farming connection Both species' gall bladders contain ursodeoxycholic acid, which has long-standing use in some traditional medicine traditions. The synthetic form of the same molecule has been available pharmaceutically for decades. Bile-farming captures bears (most often moon bears in Vietnam, sun bears more often in Indonesia and Malaysia) and surgically extracts bile through a permanent catheter, a procedure now formally prohibited in Vietnam but still ongoing in some neighbouring countries. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has flagged bear-bile farming as a welfare and biosecurity concern. Rescue work focuses on lifetime sanctuary care for retired bile bears, which is where partner sanctuaries WARN intends to support fit in. Rescue outcomes Most bears rescued from the bile industry or the trafficking trade cannot be released. They have spent years in cages, are habituated to humans, and frequently have skeletal deformities, dental damage and chronic disease. Lifetime sanctuary care is the standard outcome — and is expensive. A single rescued moon bear typically costs £8,000-12,000 per year to keep in a high-standard sanctuary. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES, WOAH, UNEP-WCMC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/pangolin-species-explained): Pangolin Species Explained: All Eight of the World's Most Trafficked Mammal.

## Summary
The eight pangolin species — Chinese, Indian, Sunda and Philippine pangolins in Asia, and white-bellied, black-bellied, giant and Temminck's ground pangolins in Africa — are all CITES Appendix I and collectively the most trafficked mammals on earth.

## Excerpt
There are eight pangolin species — four in Africa and four in Asia. All eight are trafficked. Here is the briefing.

## Takeaway
Eight species: four Asian (Chinese, Indian, Sunda, Philippine), four African (white-bellied, black-bellied, giant, Temminck's).

## Takeaway
Most trafficked mammal in the world by recorded seizure tonnage.

## Takeaway
All eight species are CITES Appendix I — no commercial international trade.

## Takeaway
Asian pangolin populations have collapsed, driving traffickers toward African species.

## Takeaway
Pangolin scales are keratin (the same protein as fingernails) and have no clinically demonstrated medicinal effect.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/pangolin-species-explained): Pangolin Species Explained: All Eight of the World's Most Trafficked Mammal.

## Briefing
The pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world by recorded seizure tonnage. There are eight species — four Asian and four African — and all eight are listed on CITES Appendix I. The four Asian pangolins Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) — Critically Endangered. Range across southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Bhutan, Nepal and northern India. Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) — Endangered. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) — Critically Endangered. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar. Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) — Critically Endangered. Endemic to the Palawan island group. The four African pangolins White-bellied (tree) pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) — Endangered. Central and West African rainforests. Black-bellied (long-tailed) pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) — Vulnerable. Central African rainforests. Giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) — Endangered. Equatorial Africa. Temminck's ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) — Vulnerable. East and Southern Africa, including Kenya and Tanzania. Why pangolins are trafficked Pangolin scales — made of the same keratin as human fingernails and hair — are used in some traditional-medicine markets despite no clinically demonstrated medicinal effect. Pangolin meat is also a luxury food in parts of East Asia. The combination drove Asian populations to functional collapse over the past two decades, which is why African pangolins are now under intensifying trafficking pressure. How pangolins are seized UNODC's World Wildlife Crime Report documents seizures of multiple-tonne pangolin-scale shipments at major Asian and African ports. A single shipping container can hold the scales of thousands of pangolins. How WARN fits in WARN's planned pangolin work aims to support partner rehabilitation work in Malaysia, Vietnam and East Africa. Pangolins seized in raids urgently need expert care — they are notoriously hard to keep alive in captivity, which is exactly why dedicated pangolin sanctuaries matter so much. Sources: IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report, UNEP-WCMC. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-cites): What Is CITES? The Treaty That Controls the Global Wildlife Trade.

## Summary
CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — is an international treaty in force since 1975 that regulates the cross-border trade of more than 38,000 plant and animal species through three Appendices of increasing restrictiveness; almost every country in the world is a party.

## Excerpt
CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — controls the international trade of more than 38,000 species. Here is the plain-English explainer.

## Takeaway
International treaty in force since 1975.

## Takeaway
More than 38,000 species listed across three Appendices.

## Takeaway
Appendix I: no commercial international trade — the most endangered species.

## Takeaway
Appendix II: trade permitted with export permits — controlled but not banned.

## Takeaway
Appendix III: trade controls requested by individual range states.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-cites): What Is CITES? The Treaty That Controls the Global Wildlife Trade.

## Briefing
CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — is the international treaty that controls the cross-border movement of wild animals and plants. It has been in force since 1975, has been signed by more than 180 countries, and currently regulates the trade of more than 38,000 species. The three Appendices Appendix I. Species threatened with extinction. No commercial international trade. Includes tigers, all great apes, pangolins, all rhinos, sea turtles, many parrots and many cetaceans. Examples: Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean orangutan), Manis javanica (Sunda pangolin), Panthera tigris (tiger). Appendix II. Species not currently threatened with extinction but at risk if trade is uncontrolled. Trade permitted with export permits. Includes hippos, many crocodile species, many corals, many timber species, many parrots and cacti. Appendix III. Species protected at the request of a specific range state. Trade controls limited to specified countries. How CITES actually works CITES is enforced at national borders. Each party country designates a Management Authority (which issues permits) and a Scientific Authority (which assesses sustainability). Importers and exporters must obtain CITES permits before moving listed species across borders, including dead specimens, parts and derivatives. A pangolin scale is as regulated as a live pangolin. What CITES does not do It does not control domestic trade. Each country sets its own internal rules. Some countries ban domestic ivory sales entirely (including the UK); others permit them. It does not address welfare. CITES is a trade-control treaty. Welfare standards for transported animals fall under separate frameworks (notably IATA Live Animals Regulations and WOAH). It does not list every endangered species. A species can be Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List without being on a CITES Appendix, and vice versa. Why this matters for WARN supporters Every animal WARN's partner rescues handles is implicitly a CITES question. Confiscated pangolins, parrots, slow lorises and primate species are CITES Appendix I or II. International transfer between sanctuaries requires CITES permits. Returning rescued wildlife to range countries requires CITES permits. The treaty is the operating system of international wildlife rescue. Sources: CITES Secretariat, UNEP-WCMC, UNODC World Wildlife Crime Report. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-iucn-red-list): What Is the IUCN Red List? The Global Standard for Extinction Risk.

## Summary
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species, maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and classifies species into nine categories from Least Concern through Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered to Extinct in the Wild and Extinct.

## Excerpt
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive measure of biodiversity loss — and the source we cite for every species status on this site. Here is what it does, and what it doesn't.

## Takeaway
Nine official categories: NE, DD, LC, NT, VU, EN, CR, EW, EX.

## Takeaway
Critically Endangered (CR) is the highest threat category before Extinct in the Wild.

## Takeaway
Each species is reassessed periodically based on population size, range, decline rate and threats.

## Takeaway
The Red List is data; it does not directly trigger legal protection — that requires CITES and national law.

## Takeaway
Approximately 30% of assessed species are currently threatened with extinction.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-iucn-red-list): What Is the IUCN Red List? The Global Standard for Extinction Risk.

## Briefing
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most authoritative measure of extinction risk. It is maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, has assessed more than 160,000 species, and is the source WARN cites for almost every species status on this site. The nine categories EX — Extinct. No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. EW — Extinct in the Wild. Survives only in captivity or in introduced populations. CR — Critically Endangered. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. EN — Endangered. Facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. VU — Vulnerable. Facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. NT — Near Threatened. Close to qualifying for a threatened category. LC — Least Concern. Widespread and abundant. DD — Data Deficient. Insufficient information to assess. NE — Not Evaluated. Not yet assessed. See our explainer on Endangered vs Critically Endangered for a deeper look at the difference between the threat categories. How the categories are decided Each species is assessed against quantitative criteria — population size, rate of decline, geographic range, fragmentation — by specialist groups of biologists. Assessments are reviewed every 5-10 years (more frequently for species of high conservation interest). What the Red List is not It is not a legal framework. A Critically Endangered listing does not by itself prohibit trade or hunting — that requires CITES, national wildlife law and protected-area designation. It is not a funding decision. Many of the most-endangered species receive less conservation funding than well-known charismatic species in lower categories. It is not complete. Most invertebrates, fungi and plants are under-assessed or unassessed. Recent assessments WARN cites often African forest elephant — Critically Endangered (2021). African savanna elephant — Endangered (2021). Komodo dragon — Endangered (2021). Snow leopard — Vulnerable (2017, downlisted from Endangered). Sources: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, IUCN SSC Species Survival Commission. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/endangered-vs-critically-endangered): Endangered vs Critically Endangered: What the Difference Actually Means.

## Summary
Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered (EN) are the two highest threat categories of the IUCN Red List below extinction: Critically Endangered means the species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, typically with population decline of 80% or more over three generations, while Endangered means a very high risk of extinction with typical population decline of 50% or more over three generations.

## Excerpt
The two terms get used interchangeably in fundraising copy. They are not the same. Here is the IUCN definition of each, with examples.

## Takeaway
Both are formal IUCN Red List threat categories.

## Takeaway
Critically Endangered (CR) is one step above Extinct in the Wild — the most severe living category.

## Takeaway
Endangered (EN) is the category below CR.

## Takeaway
Both are defined by quantitative criteria: population size, decline rate, geographic range, fragmentation.

## Takeaway
A species can move between categories in either direction — recoveries are downlisted, declines are uplisted.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/endangered-vs-critically-endangered): Endangered vs Critically Endangered: What the Difference Actually Means.

## Briefing
"Endangered" and "Critically Endangered" are used interchangeably by most charity fundraising — including, in the past, by us. They are not the same thing. The IUCN Red List defines them very precisely. Critically Endangered (CR) The highest threat category before Extinct in the Wild. A species qualifies if it meets any of the following (simplified): Population decline of 80% or more over three generations or ten years (whichever is longer). Wild population fewer than 250 mature individuals, and continuing decline. Wild population fewer than 50 mature individuals. Quantitative analysis showing 50%+ probability of extinction within ten years or three generations. Examples WARN cites: Javan rhino, Sumatran rhino, Amur leopard, Sumatran tiger, Sunda pangolin, African forest elephant, West African lion, Hawksbill sea turtle. Endangered (EN) One category below CR. A species qualifies if it meets any of (simplified): Population decline of 50% or more over three generations or ten years. Wild population fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, and continuing decline. Quantitative analysis showing 20%+ probability of extinction within 20 years or five generations. Examples WARN cites: Asian elephant, African savanna elephant, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan, African wild dog, Komodo dragon. Why the distinction matters The categories are designed to be policy-relevant. A Critically Endangered species typically needs emergency intervention — captive-breeding insurance populations, intensive anti-poaching, sometimes translocation. An Endangered species typically still has wild range and a recoverable population if the threats are addressed. This matters for fundraising honesty. When a charity says "this Endangered species is on the brink of extinction," that is often technically untrue — the Critically Endangered category is the brink-of-extinction category. We try not to write that way at WARN. The species we cover are accurately categorised because the IUCN's categories are the standard, not because rounding everything up to Critically Endangered sells more. Sources: IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (v3.1). We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/african-wild-dog-endangered-painted-wolf): The African Wild Dog: Endangered, Misunderstood and Snare-Vulnerable.

## Summary
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) — also called the painted wolf — is an Endangered carnivore of Sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated 6,600 mature individuals remaining in fragmented populations; it is one of the carnivore species most consistently injured or killed by wire snares set for bushmeat.

## Excerpt
Also called the painted wolf, the African wild dog is one of Africa's most endangered carnivores. Fewer than an estimated 6,600 mature individuals remain.

## Takeaway
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

## Takeaway
Estimated 6,600 mature individuals remain across fragmented Sub-Saharan populations.

## Takeaway
Highly social: lives in packs of 6-20 with strong cooperative hunting.

## Takeaway
Snaring is one of the leading causes of pack mortality — directly addressed by WARN's Elephant Appeal.

## Takeaway
Vaccine-preventable diseases (canine distemper, rabies) are a serious threat to small populations.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/african-wild-dog-endangered-painted-wolf): The African Wild Dog: Endangered, Misunderstood and Snare-Vulnerable.

## Briefing
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) — increasingly called the painted wolf in conservation literature — is one of the most socially cooperative and most steeply declining of Africa's carnivores. Where lions and elephants get the photographs, wild dogs get the snares. WARN is preparing to operate in Kenya and Tanzania , two countries that hold meaningful African wild dog populations — and that have some of the most active anti-snaring rescue work on the continent. How many wild dogs are left? The IUCN Red List estimates around 6,600 mature individuals across all of Sub-Saharan Africa, in fragmented populations. Strongholds include the Selous-Niassa ecosystem (Tanzania and Mozambique), the Okavango (Botswana), Kruger (South Africa), Zimbabwe's lowveld and northern Kenya. Why wild dogs are Endangered Snaring. Wide-ranging pack carnivores are disproportionately exposed to snare lines set for bushmeat species. Snares are the leading non-disease cause of wild-dog pack disruption documented by long-term studies. Habitat fragmentation. Wild dogs need extremely large home ranges — a single pack can use 500-2,000 km². As savannas are fenced and converted, pack viability drops. Retaliatory killing. Packs that take livestock are shot, speared or poisoned. Wild dogs are highly visible during daytime hunts, which makes them easier to kill than nocturnal carnivores. Vaccine-preventable disease. Canine distemper and rabies — both transmissible from domestic dogs — have repeatedly wiped out small wild-dog populations. This is one of the few wildlife-rescue problems with a direct solution: vaccinate domestic dogs in adjacent communities. What is working Snare-removal patrols, rapid-response veterinary teams that can dart and treat snared dogs, and domestic-dog vaccination programmes in communities adjacent to wild-dog range are the three interventions with the strongest evidence base. Tourism conservancies that share revenue with pastoralist communities have repeatedly reduced retaliatory killing. How WARN fits in Wild dogs are one of the species our planned snare-removal work is most directly designed to help. Snare-removal patrols and snared-animal veterinary response are core to the appeal, and African wild dogs benefit as much as any other species from this work — possibly more. Sources: IUCN Red List, UNEP-WCMC, CITES Appendix II listing. We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work. We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now. Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost. Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation. You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/in-memory-giving-pet-tribute-guide): Giving in Memory of a Pet: A Complete Guide to Tribute Donations and Pet Memorials.

## Summary
To give in memory of a pet with WARN, email info@worldanimalrescuenetwork.org with your pet's first name and species; WARN directs your gift to the programme protecting the same species (cat, dog, horse, donkey or small pet) and acknowledges every tribute by email — there are no postal costs.

## Excerpt
How to give in memory of a much-loved pet, what a tribute donation actually does, how memorial walls work, and how WARN matches your gift to the same species your animal belonged to.

## Takeaway
An in-memory donation is a charitable gift made in the name of a much-loved animal who has died.

## Takeaway
WARN's in-memory giving is species-matched: a tribute for a cat helps community cats, a dog tribute helps street-dog welfare, an equine tribute funds a working-equine clinic.

## Takeaway
WARN acknowledges every tribute by email — no postal costs, so every pound goes to animal welfare.

## Takeaway
A free funeral collection PDF is available for funeral directors and orders of service.

## Takeaway
Memorial wall entries are first names only, opt-in, and reviewed before publication; WARN does not contact in-memory supporters again unless asked.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/in-memory-giving-pet-tribute-guide): Giving in Memory of a Pet: A Complete Guide to Tribute Donations and Pet Memorials.

## Briefing
An in memory donation — sometimes called a tribute donation , a memorial donation for a pet , or simply giving in memory — is a charitable gift made in the name of a much-loved animal who has died.

It is one of the oldest forms of philanthropy and, for many supporters, one of the most personal.

This guide explains how in memory giving works, what a pet memorial can look like, and how to do it through WARN.

What is in-memory giving?

In-memory giving is a donation made in someone's name after they have died.

Historically it was reserved for people; today, with growing recognition of the grief that follows pet loss, more and more supporters use it to remember a pet .

The gift is paid to a charity of your choice, the charity records the tribute in the animal's name, and the funds are directed to work that honours the memory.

Some charities send a card to confirm the gift.

Some publish the animal's name on a public memorial wall, with the family's permission.

Why give in memory of a pet?

People give in memory for many reasons.

Some find that doing something concrete for another animal eases the early weeks of grief.

Some prefer it to flowers at a funeral or wake.

Some want to mark the anniversary of a pet's death in a quiet, private way.

Whatever the reason, an in-memory donation is a way of saying that the love did not stop when the animal did.

How WARN's in-memory giving is different Most in-memory donations are general — they go to "the charity's work".

WARN's in memory giving is matched to the same species your pet belonged to: In memory of a cat → community cat rescue, vaccination, and humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return across our planned Global Cat Protection Appeal .

In memory of a dog → street-dog welfare in Karachi through our planned Karachi street dogs appeal .

In memory of a horse or donkey → mobile veterinary clinics for working equines through our planned working-equine programme .

In memory of a rabbit, hamster or other small pet → confiscated-wildlife veterinary triage and partner sanctuary capacity through our planned exotic-pet rescue work .

The animal you loved helps an animal like them, somewhere they are needed most.

How to give in memory of a pet: step by step Email WARN at info@worldanimalrescuenetwork.org with your pet's first name and species.

Choose how to give.

A one-off gift in their memory, a name on the pet memorial wall , or a free funeral collection PDF for a service or wake.

(Optional) Add your pet to the memorial wall.

First names only, opt-in, and reviewed before publication.

What about funeral collections?

If you would like mourners at a service or wake to give in memory rather than send flowers, WARN provides a free funeral collection PDF.

It explains how guests can give online, includes suggested wording for the order of service, and contains no postal envelopes.

We do not send paper packs by post — the saving goes to animals.

Will WARN keep contacting families?

No.

Giving in memory is a sensitive moment and should not be followed by marketing.

WARN does not contact in-memory supporters again unless they explicitly ask to be kept in touch.

This is a deliberate policy.

Pet loss support If you are reading this in the first hours or days after losing an animal, we are so sorry.

Many supporters tell us that doing something concrete in their pet's memory eases the early weeks — but there is no hurry, and grief is real grief.

We have written a short, sensitive guide on pet loss support , covering what to do practically and emotionally when an animal you love dies.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/in-memory-giving-pet-tribute-guide): Giving in Memory of a Pet: A Complete Guide to Tribute Donations and Pet Memorials.

Start an in-memory tribute To start a tribute, add a name to the pet memorial wall , or request a free funeral collection PDF, please visit our In memory giving page , donate online , or email info@worldanimalrescuenetwork.org.

We reply personally to every message.

Remember a much-loved animal An in memory donation with WARN is matched to the same species your pet belonged to.

Visit the In memory giving page to choose how you would like to remember them, or see the pet memorial wall .


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

## Summary
The biggest UK animal charities each have a slightly different focus: the RSPCA covers all species and cruelty investigation, Dogs Trust focuses on dogs, Battersea on dogs and cats in London, Cats Protection on cats, Blue Cross on pet welfare and bereavement, PDSA on subsidised vet care, The Donkey Sanctuary on donkeys worldwide, Brooke on working equines internationally, and Wood Green and Mayhew on pet rehoming and community support. WARN focuses on international field rescue in regions with no equivalent UK-style rehoming infrastructure.

## Excerpt
Who does what across UK animal welfare? A neutral, supporter-friendly guide to ten of the biggest UK animal charities — RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Battersea, Cats Protection, Blue Cross, PDSA, The Donkey Sanctuary, Brooke, Wood Green and Mayhew — with each charity's own donate link, and an honest section on where international field rescue fits in.

## Takeaway
There is no single 'best' UK animal charity — they each cover a different part of animal welfare, and the right one for you depends on what you care most about.

## Takeaway
For UK dog rehoming, Dogs Trust, Battersea, Wood Green and Mayhew are the most established networks.

## Takeaway
For UK cat rehoming, Cats Protection and Battersea are the most established networks.

## Takeaway
For subsidised veterinary care, PDSA and Blue Cross are the two big providers.

## Takeaway
For international animal welfare, Brooke (working equines) and The Donkey Sanctuary (donkeys worldwide) are established UK-registered charities working abroad, alongside World Animal Rescue Network — a launch-stage not-for-profit focused on field rescue.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

## Briefing
If you live in the UK and care about animals, you have a lot of choice.

Britain is home to some of the oldest and best-resourced animal welfare charities in the world, and each one has its own focus.

This guide explains who the biggest UK animal charities are, what each one is known for, and how to support them directly.

We have included every charity's own website link so you can give to them in one click.

At the end, we explain where World Animal Rescue Network fits in — and, honestly, where you might want to give to one of the others instead.

This page is meant to be useful, not partisan.

We genuinely admire the work of every organisation listed below.

1.

RSPCA — the original, and the broadest The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the world's oldest animal welfare charity, founded in 1824.

It covers every species — companion animals, farm animals, wildlife and exotics — and is the only UK animal charity with a recognised role in cruelty investigation in England and Wales.

The RSPCA runs rescue centres, prosecutes cruelty cases under the Animal Welfare Act, campaigns on welfare law, and rehomes thousands of animals every year.

Founded: 1824 · Focus: All species, all welfare · Coverage: England and Wales Donate to the RSPCA → 2.

Dogs Trust — the UK's largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust (originally founded in 1891 as the National Canine Defence League and renamed in 2003) is the UK's largest dog welfare charity.

It runs a national network of rehoming centres, supports dog owners through training and behaviour resources, and operates a long-standing no-destruction policy for healthy dogs in its care.

If your interest is specifically dogs — UK rehoming, training, or owner support — this is the heavyweight.

Founded: 1891 · Focus: Dogs only · Coverage: UK-wide rehoming network Donate to Dogs Trust → 3.

Battersea — dogs and cats, since 1860 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is one of the most recognised animal welfare brands in the country and one of the oldest, founded in 1860.

It rehomes both dogs and cats from three centres in London, Old Windsor and Brands Hatch.

Battersea is known for taking in animals other rescues cannot — including dogs with complex behaviour needs — and for its 24-hour intake policy.

Founded: 1860 · Focus: Dogs and cats · Coverage: London and South-East England Donate to Battersea → 4.

Cats Protection — the UK's biggest cat charity Cats Protection (founded 1927) is the UK's largest cat-only welfare charity, with a national branch and adoption-centre network largely run by volunteers.

It rehomes cats, neuters strays and ferals through subsidised schemes, and provides community-level cat care for owners struggling with vet bills or housing changes.

If your sympathies are with cats specifically, this is the obvious choice.

Founded: 1927 · Focus: Cats only · Coverage: UK-wide volunteer branch network Donate to Cats Protection → 5.

Blue Cross — pet welfare and pet bereavement Blue Cross (founded 1897) is a UK pet welfare charity that operates rehoming centres, runs low-cost veterinary clinics for pets of owners on means-tested benefits, and provides one of the UK's best-known pet bereavement support services.

Blue Cross is a good choice if you want a charity that supports pets and the humans who love them through hard moments.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

Founded: 1897 · Focus: Pet welfare, vet care, bereavement support · Coverage: UK-wide Donate to Blue Cross → 6.

PDSA — vet care for pets in need The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (founded 1917) is a veterinary charity.

Where other charities focus on rehoming or campaigning, PDSA focuses on keeping pets in homes by making veterinary treatment affordable for owners on certain means-tested benefits.

PDSA Pet Hospitals operate across the UK and are one of the country's largest providers of subsidised veterinary care.

Founded: 1917 · Focus: Subsidised vet care for pets of owners on means-tested benefits · Coverage: UK-wide Pet Hospital network Donate to PDSA → 7.

The Donkey Sanctuary — donkeys worldwide The Donkey Sanctuary (founded 1969) is a UK-registered charity that has grown into one of the largest equine welfare organisations in the world.

It rescues and cares for donkeys in the UK and Ireland, and runs welfare and veterinary programmes for working donkeys in some of the lowest-income countries on earth.

If donkeys move you, no charity is more focused.

Founded: 1969 · Focus: Donkeys, UK and worldwide · Coverage: Global, with UK sanctuaries Donate to The Donkey Sanctuary → 8.

Brooke — for working horses, donkeys and mules Brooke (founded 1934) is a UK-registered international charity dedicated to the welfare of working equines — horses, donkeys and mules that pull carts, carry water and support entire family economies across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Brooke runs mobile veterinary clinics, trains community animal health workers, and works on equine welfare policy across multiple countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Founded: 1934 · Focus: Working horses, donkeys and mules · Coverage: International Donate to Brooke → 9.

Wood Green — the animals charity Wood Green (founded 1924) is a UK pet welfare and rehoming charity based in Cambridgeshire.

It rehomes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets, and provides outreach and community support to pet owners facing financial or housing difficulty so that animals are not surrendered unnecessarily.

It is known for a strong emphasis on keeping pets with their families wherever possible.

Founded: 1924 · Focus: Pet rehoming and community pet support · Coverage: UK, primarily East of England Donate to Wood Green → 10.

Mayhew — London-based animal welfare Mayhew (founded 1886) is a London-based animal welfare charity that rehomes dogs and cats, runs subsidised veterinary care and community programmes in London, and supports overseas animal welfare projects in countries including Afghanistan and Georgia.

It is one of the smaller charities on this list, with a focused community footprint.

Founded: 1886 · Focus: Dog and cat rehoming, community welfare, some international projects · Coverage: London + selected overseas projects Donate to Mayhew → UK animal charities: frequently asked comparisons What is the difference between Dogs Trust and the RSPCA?

Dogs Trust is a dogs-only charity, founded in 1891, focused on rehoming, training and behavioural support, with a long-standing no-destruction policy for healthy dogs in its care.

The RSPCA, founded in 1824, is a multi-species charity covering all domestic and many wild animals — and is the only UK animal charity with a recognised role in cruelty investigation in England and Wales.

They are complementary: Dogs Trust focuses deeply on one species; the RSPCA covers the whole welfare landscape.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

What is the difference between Battersea and Dogs Trust?

Battersea (founded 1860) takes in both dogs and cats and operates three centres in London and the South-East.

Dogs Trust (founded 1891) is a dogs-only charity with a much larger UK rehoming network.

If you specifically want to support dog rehoming at the largest UK scale, Dogs Trust is the bigger network; if you want to support a dog-and-cat home with a strong London identity, Battersea is the established choice.

What is the difference between the RSPCA and PDSA?

The RSPCA focuses on animal welfare across all species, cruelty investigation and rehoming.

PDSA (the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, founded 1917) is a veterinary charity that provides affordable veterinary care to pets of owners on means-tested benefits.

The two charities do not compete — they cover different parts of animal welfare and are often used by the same families.

What is the difference between Cats Protection and Blue Cross?

Cats Protection is a cat-only charity (founded 1927) with a UK-wide volunteer branch network and a strong focus on neutering and feral cat welfare.

Blue Cross (founded 1897) is a multi-pet charity covering dogs, cats, horses and small pets, with rehoming centres, low-cost vet clinics and a well-established pet bereavement support service.

Cats Protection is the deeper option for cats; Blue Cross is broader and includes bereavement support.

Which UK animal charity helps animals abroad?

Most UK animal charities focus on the UK.

The exceptions on this list are Brooke (working equines internationally), The Donkey Sanctuary (donkeys worldwide), and Mayhew (selected overseas projects).

World Animal Rescue Network is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation (Company no.

17298990) focused specifically on international field rescue — the gap between UK rehoming and large international policy organisations.

Which UK animal charity should I donate to?

It depends on what kind of animal welfare matters most to you.

For UK dog rehoming , Dogs Trust, Battersea, Wood Green and Mayhew.

For UK cat rehoming , Cats Protection and Battersea.

For subsidised veterinary care , PDSA and Blue Cross.

For cruelty investigation and broad welfare , the RSPCA.

For working horses, donkeys and mules , Brooke.

For donkeys specifically , The Donkey Sanctuary.

For international field rescue in regions with no UK-style rehoming infrastructure , World Animal Rescue Network.

The best answer is often: pick one for the UK and one for international.

Where World Animal Rescue Network fits in WARN is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation (World Animal Rescue Network CIC, Company no.

17298990), currently building country programmes for 2026.

We do not rehome dogs or cats in the UK — the charities above already do that, and they do it well.

What WARN exists for is the gap they cannot reach: street dogs in cities like Karachi where there is almost no rescue capacity, orangutans trapped in active palm-oil concessions in Indonesia, parrots and primates confiscated from the international pet trade in South America, snared elephants and wild dogs in East African conservancies, working equines in cull zones — animals for whom the UK rehoming model simply does not apply because they are too far away, too wild, or too numerous.

If you already give to one of the UK charities above, we are genuinely glad.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

If you would like to add international field rescue to your giving — small monthly amounts make a real difference at our stage — please consider supporting WARN as well.

Help launch international field rescue World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage.

We are not asking you to leave the UK charity you already love — we are asking you to help open up a new front for animals that no UK rehoming charity can reach.

Donate to WARN today to back our first deployments in Pakistan, Indonesia, Peru and East Africa, or sponsor an animal through rehabilitation.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/uk-animal-charities-explained): UK Animal Charities Explained: A Friendly Guide to 10 of the Biggest, and How They Differ.

## What is the difference between Dogs Trust and the RSPCA?
Dogs Trust is a dogs-only charity, founded in 1891, focused on rehoming, training and behavioural support, with a long-standing no-destruction policy for healthy dogs in its care. The RSPCA, founded in 1824, is a multi-species charity covering all domestic and many wild animals — and is the only UK animal charity with a recognised role in cruelty investigation in England and Wales. They are complementary: Dogs Trust focuses deeply on one species; the RSPCA covers the whole welfare landscape.

## What is the difference between Battersea and Dogs Trust?
Battersea (founded 1860) takes in both dogs and cats and operates three centres in London and the South-East. Dogs Trust (founded 1891) is a dogs-only charity with a much larger UK rehoming network. If you specifically want to support dog rehoming at the largest UK scale, Dogs Trust is the bigger network; if you want to support a dog-and-cat home with a strong London identity, Battersea is the established choice.

## What is the difference between the RSPCA and PDSA?
The RSPCA focuses on animal welfare across all species, cruelty investigation and rehoming. PDSA (the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, founded 1917) is a veterinary charity that provides affordable veterinary care to pets of owners on means-tested benefits. The two charities do not compete — they cover different parts of animal welfare and are often used by the same families.

## What is the difference between Cats Protection and Blue Cross?
Cats Protection is a cat-only charity (founded 1927) with a UK-wide volunteer branch network and a strong focus on neutering and feral cat welfare. Blue Cross (founded 1897) is a multi-pet charity covering dogs, cats, horses and small pets, with rehoming centres, low-cost vet clinics and a well-established pet bereavement support service.

## Which UK animal charity helps animals abroad?
Most UK animal charities focus on the UK. The exceptions are Brooke (working equines internationally), The Donkey Sanctuary (donkeys worldwide), and Mayhew (selected overseas projects). World Animal Rescue Network is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation (Company no. 17298990) focused specifically on international field rescue in regions with no UK-style rehoming infrastructure.

## Which UK animal charity should I donate to?
It depends on what kind of animal welfare matters most to you. For UK dog rehoming: Dogs Trust, Battersea, Wood Green or Mayhew. For UK cat rehoming: Cats Protection or Battersea. For subsidised veterinary care: PDSA or Blue Cross. For cruelty investigation and broad welfare: the RSPCA. For working horses, donkeys and mules: Brooke. For donkeys specifically: The Donkey Sanctuary. For international field rescue: World Animal Rescue Network. The best answer is often: pick one for the UK and one for international.

## What is the biggest animal charity in the UK?
By scale and recognition, the RSPCA is the largest and oldest UK animal welfare charity, founded in 1824 and covering all species. Dogs Trust is the largest dogs-only charity, and Cats Protection is the largest cats-only charity.

## Is World Animal Rescue Network a UK charity?
World Animal Rescue Network (WARN) is World Animal Rescue Network CIC (Company number 17298990), a registered UK Community Interest Company — not a registered charity. Unlike most UK animal charities, WARN focuses on international field rescue rather than UK rehoming.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-an-animal-sanctuary): What Is an Animal Sanctuary? How Sanctuaries Work, Who They Help, and How to Support One.

## Summary
An animal sanctuary is a facility that provides permanent, lifetime care for animals that cannot be rehomed — due to injury, trauma, age, wildness, or the fact that no suitable home exists. Unlike shelters and rescues, sanctuaries do not rehome their residents; the animals live there for the rest of their lives.

## Excerpt
Animal sanctuary, animal shelter, animal rescue — the terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things. This guide explains the difference, what life inside a sanctuary looks like, and how you can support sanctuaries in the UK and internationally.

## Takeaway
A sanctuary provides permanent, lifetime care; a shelter or rescue rehomes animals into new homes.

## Takeaway
Not all animals can be rehomed — animals that are severely injured, wild-born, aged, or deeply traumatised often need sanctuary care instead.

## Takeaway
UK animal sanctuaries typically care for farmed animals, horses, donkeys and small pets alongside dogs and cats.

## Takeaway
International animal sanctuaries care for primates, big cats, elephants, bears and trafficked wildlife that cannot be released back into the wild.

## Takeaway
You can support a sanctuary through adoption sponsorship — where you fund a named resident's food, vet care and enrichment without taking them home.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-an-animal-sanctuary): What Is an Animal Sanctuary? How Sanctuaries Work, Who They Help, and How to Support One.

## Briefing
The words animal sanctuary , animal shelter and animal rescue are used interchangeably online — on donation pages, in charity names, in news stories — but they describe meaningfully different things.

Understanding the difference helps you support the right organisation for the cause you care about, and it helps you understand what the animals in each type of facility actually need.

What is an animal sanctuary?

An animal sanctuary is a facility that provides permanent, lifetime care for animals that cannot be rehomed.

The animals who live in sanctuaries are not available for adoption — they will spend the rest of their lives at the sanctuary, cared for by staff and volunteers, in an environment designed to meet their physical and psychological needs as well as possible given their situation.

Animals end up in sanctuaries for many reasons.

They may be too old to adapt to a new home.

They may have injuries or medical needs that most families cannot manage.

They may have been wild-born — primates, big cats, bears, elephants — and cannot safely live with humans or return to the wild.

They may have been so severely traumatised that the process of rehoming would cause them serious harm.

The defining feature of a sanctuary is that the animals' welfare is the goal, not their placement.

A sanctuary's residents are not "waiting" — they have arrived.

The job is to make the rest of their life as good as it can possibly be.

Animal sanctuary vs animal shelter: the key difference A shelter takes in stray, abandoned or surrendered animals and works to place them in new homes.

Shelters are measured by their rehoming rates.

The better shelters provide enrichment, behavioural support and veterinary care to maximise each animal's chances of finding a good home as quickly as possible.

A sanctuary takes in animals who have either failed to find a home after extensive time in a shelter, or who were never candidates for rehoming in the first place.

Sanctuaries are measured by the quality of life they provide — not by how many animals they move on.

Many organisations do both: they operate as a rescue and shelter for animals that can be rehomed, and as a sanctuary for those that cannot.

The two functions often sit side by side within the same charity, which is why the terminology gets blurred.

Animal sanctuary vs animal rescue A rescue is an active operation — it goes into dangerous situations and removes animals.

Street cull operations, hoarding cases, disaster zones, illegal wildlife trade interceptions.

The rescued animals then go through rehabilitation and, if possible, rehoming.

A sanctuary is the destination for animals that have been through rescue and rehabilitation, but for whom no suitable home exists.

The two functions are complementary.

Without sanctuaries, many rescued animals would have nowhere to go after rehabilitation — which means rescue operations could not take them in the first place.

What animals live in sanctuaries?

UK animal sanctuaries Most UK animal sanctuaries focus on species that fall outside the mainstream dog-and-cat welfare system.

Horses and donkeys are common — animals from neglect or overwork situations that cannot be ridden or driven.

Farm animals rescued from slaughter or hoarding: pigs, goats, sheep, cattle.

Small animals with high needs: elderly rabbits, guinea pigs with chronic conditions, birds requiring specialist care.

Some UK organisations, such as the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, focus entirely on one species.

Others, like Wythall Animal Sanctuary in the West Midlands, care for a range of smaller animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and birds alongside dogs and cats.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/what-is-an-animal-sanctuary): What Is an Animal Sanctuary? How Sanctuaries Work, Who They Help, and How to Support One.

International animal sanctuaries Internationally, sanctuaries often exist specifically for animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade or removed from abusive tourist attractions.

This includes: Primates — orangutans, chimpanzees, capuchins, slow lorises confiscated from pet trade or palm-oil habitat clearance Big cats — lions and tigers rescued from canned hunting operations or private ownership Bears — Asiatic black bears (moon bears) rescued from bear bile farms in Vietnam and China Elephants — removed from logging operations or tourist entertainment Parrots and macaws — confiscated from trafficking operations across South America These animals almost never return to the wild.

They have been through too much, or were born in captivity, or their wild habitat no longer safely exists.

For them, a high-quality international sanctuary is the best possible outcome.

How to support an animal sanctuary Animal sponsorship The most popular form of sanctuary support is animal sponsorship — sometimes called adoption sponsorship or "sponsor a resident".

You make a regular monthly contribution (typically a small amount) and it funds a named animal's food, veterinary care, enrichment and habitat maintenance.

In return, you receive updates about your sponsored animal.

The animal does not come to live with you — they stay at the sanctuary — but your money directly pays for their daily life.

Sponsorship is particularly powerful because it provides sanctuaries with predictable, recurring income that allows them to plan veterinary treatment and staffing.

A one-off donation is valuable, but monthly sponsors are what keep sanctuary doors open year after year.

Volunteering Many UK sanctuaries welcome volunteers for tasks that do not involve direct animal contact — maintenance, administration, events, social media, fundraising.

Some offer animal care volunteering for experienced handlers.

International sanctuaries often run structured volunteer programmes, though these should be chosen carefully: any programme that allows close contact with wild animals (holding primates, riding elephants) is likely prioritising visitor experience over animal welfare.

Leaving a legacy A gift in a will — a legacy donation — is one of the most significant things a supporter can do for a sanctuary.

Sanctuaries carry long-term commitments: an orangutan rescued today may live for another 40 years.

Legacy gifts provide the financial foundation for that kind of long-term care.

Where WARN's sanctuary work fits in World Animal Rescue Network is building towards sanctuary capacity in several of our planned programme countries for 2026.

In each case, sanctuary care is the final destination for animals that our field rescue operations bring out of dangerous situations but for whom release is not possible — confiscated parrots, slow lorises, orangutans, primates removed from the pet trade.

Without sanctuary partnerships and capacity, field rescue cannot function: there is nowhere to take the animals once they are safe.

If you would like to support WARN's sanctuary development work, sponsoring an animal through our launch-stage programme directly funds the rehabilitation and sanctuary housing of our first case animals, or make a one-off donation to support our field teams and veterinary capacity.

We need your support to make this happen World Animal Rescue Network is at the launch stage of this work.

We do not yet have rescue numbers to share — and that is exactly why your support matters now.

Every donation helps us put trained teams on the ground, secure veterinary supplies and equipment, and reach the first animals before they are lost.

Donate today to fund our first deployments, or sponsor an animal to back a specific species through rehabilitation.

You can also join the network as a volunteer, fundraiser, or monthly supporter.