Take actions
Donate now
Report crime

Welcome to our press and media centre

Advancing animal welfare is at the heart of what we do, and we work with journalists and the media to provide all the latest Naturewatch Foundation news and information on animal welfare and animal cruelty issues.

Our campaigns regularly feature in both national mainstream and specialist press. We are proud to have our campaigns featured across a broad spectrum of reputable outlets including: BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, Dogs Today and Women’s Own.

Read our latest press release

Explore this section

Main Menu

We are available to advise and comment on the full range of issues relating to our campaigns including:

General press enquires

During normal office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday), members of the press can contact:

Alice Williamson – Campaigns and Marketing Assistant
Naturewatch Foundation CEO quote

Out of office hours – press and media only

Journalists and the media can contact our campaign managers via email.

Naturewatch Foundation companion animals campaign manager quote
Companion Animals - natalie.harney@naturewatch.org
Press quotes and pics 8
Wildlife Crime jim@naturewatch.org
Naturewatch Foundation protect animals potect people campaign manager quote
Protect Animals. Protect People - mark@naturewatch.org

More about us

We have been speaking out on behalf of animals since 1991 and continue to strive to advance animal welfare and end animal cruelty.

  • Animal experiments
    We push for the end of animal testing with clear deadlines from government, scientists, industry, and regulators in the UK. We campaign for transparency around animal testing and continue to grow the Compassionate Shopping Guide, signposting people toward cruelty-free products that have zero-ties to animal testing.

  • Protect Animals Protect People
    Our work focuses on raising awareness and understanding of the link between animal abuse and the abuse of people. Our audiences include law enforcement, public protection personnel, law makers, media and those impacted by animal abuse.

  • Companion animal breeding
    We campaign to end low-welfare pet breeding, including puppy and kitten farming and illicit backyard breeding that puts profit before animal welfare. We investigate new trends and established problems and use the evidence of what's happening in the real world to inform our campaigning and lobbying for pets.

  • Animal welfare in Eastern Europe
    Our original Ukraine campaign continues to expand, reflecting the humane education and community work we also do for animals across Eastern Europe, such as in Moldova, Romania, and Poland.

  • Wildlife crime
    We play an active role in tackling wildlife crime in the UK through investigations, training, public awareness, and public policy, whilst recognising the impact of the persecution of British wildlife on communities and rural crime.

  • World Animal Day
    We continue to raise the status of animals globally through the coordination of World Animal Day, growing the movement and recruiting new voluntary ambassadors around the world.

What's new?

As an animal welfare charity with campaigns in the UK and beyond, it’s fair to say we have lots going on. Explore the latest news and updates from all of our current campaigns.

Actions and updates

action icon

We sought to embed the animal–human abuse link into frontline practices

update icon
Since launch, 1,922 professionals across England and Wales have been trained, with 792 attendees in 2025 alone, alongside specialist sessions delivered to police, prisons, safeguarding teams, and statutory bodies.
action icon

In February 2025, we released our ‘Forgotten Dogs’ report about the welfare of male dogs used for breeding, which highlights how regulation in England and Wales fails to protect them.

update icon
In December 2025, the UK Government committed to consulting on expanding bringing ‘stud’ dog services under animal welfare licensing as part of its pledge to end puppy farming.
action icon

We are a key partner of the Welfare and Protection Stakeholder Group that meets with the Home Office regularly to hold them accountable.

update icon
n November 2024, the UK Government published its strategy to phase out animal testing and we continue to push them to develop this quicker and further.
action icon

In 2023, we celebrated 30 years of helping ethical shoppers find cruelty-free brands in our Compassionate Shopping Guide.

update icon
For World Day for Animals in Laboratories (WDAIL) 2024, we launched our brand new Compassionate Shopping Guide website and our new look to help even more people shop cruelty-free.
action icon

In 2025, we revealed that 4 in 5 UK puppies come from unknown sources, including unlicensed breeders, illegal breeders and puppy smugglers.

update icon
In December 2025, the UK Government released its ‘Animal Welfare Strategy for England’, committing to end puppy farming and consult on strengthening dog breeding regulation in England.
action icon

In January 2024, we launched our first ever Pet Rescue Grant to help frontline animal welfare organisations rehabilitate dogs, cats and rabbits who’ve been impacted by the low-welfare pet trade.

update icon
For our second Pet Rescue Grant in 2025, we supported Hope Rescue, Bunnyjackpot Foundation, Second Chance Spaniel Rescue and Cat Supporters South Wales with grants. Read more here.
action icon

In August 2023, we launched our Force Control Room wildlife crime animated training package for police staff tasked with receiving wildlife crime reports from members of the public.

update icon
With over 5,500 police staff now trained, we are delighted to announce that our project won an award at the 2024 Charity Awards, one of the most prestigious awards schemes in the charity sector. You can read more about the award here.  
action icon

At the end of 2025, Operation Major was launched at the UK Wildlife Enforcers Conference to highlight horrific injuries caused to dogs used in the commission of wildlife crime.

update icon
Alongside our Operation Major partners, we are developing resources, training, and awareness across multiple sectors. Policing, veterinary professionals, and animal welfare charities all play a vital role in protecting animals that are being exploited as tools to commit crime.
action icon

In 2023, the 44 websites run by police forces across England and Wales didn’t offer any advice to survivors of domestic abuse where pets had been harmed or threatened. 

update icon
As of January 2026, all 44 forces in England and Wales (as well as the RSPCA)  have now updated their pages with this crucial information.
action icon

We wanted to make sure we made everyone aware of the harm that can be done to survivors of abuse when their pet is targeted. 

update icon
We have participated in many podcasts, and our campaign has appeared on ITN News and Talk TV, as well as in the Sunday Express, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Policing Insight (The National Police Magazine), and other outlets.
action icon

We want to ensure that our campaign message is heard globally. In 2022, we presented to a subcommittee of the European Parliament about animals within domestic abuse.

update icon
Recital 39 of text P9_TA(2024)0338 has now been adopted and suggests all EU states include animals harmed within human abuse cases to be incorporated in legislation by May 2027
action icon

We want to advance animal welfare in as many countries as possible and deliver awareness training as widely as possible on the need to take crimes against animals seriously. 

update icon
In 2024, we presented to a conference for the prosecutors and Supreme Court judges in Athens, Greece. We helped persuade senior policing and politicians to train police officers. We have also presented to the Global Scientific Guild based in India and reached the US-based newsletter of the National Link Coalition.
action icon

We want to reach MPs to explain why animal welfare matters.

update icon
Our campaign took us to Parliament during Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, where we ran an event with partners to reach political audiences. We plan to do the same this year. The 2024 King's Speech incorporated our plans with this campaign.
action icon

In April 2025 we shared our ‘Licensed Dog Breeding in the UK & Ireland 2025’ report with government officials in Northern Ireland, highlighting a particular concern about the lack of transparency around dog breeding in the nation.

update icon
In summer 2025, DAERA consulted on introducing a new system of registration for all sellers of puppies and kittens in Northern Ireland, which would include creating a public register of sellers. Naturewatch Foundation gave evidence to this consultation and, in February 2026, DAERA confirmed it will bring forward legislation as soon as possible.
action icon

Our wildlife crime investigators are regularly submitting quality, comprehensive information to police forces across England and Wales.

update icon
2026 has already seen many police investigations rely on our information packages, ranging from offences committed by individuals acting alone to offenders organising and attending large hare coursing events across several counties.
action icon

With your support, we have contributed towards the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s online Badger persecution training video. This video, a crucial resource for law enforcement, equips officers with the knowledge and skills to combat badger persecution, a significant threat to our wildlife.

update icon
The training package has been rolled out across the UK. It is enabling police officers to initially learn and revisit the key investigation principles of badger persecution offences.
action icon

We are proud to partner with the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN). Our role is to advocate for protecting wildlife and domestic pets in rural areas, enhancing the network’s mission to improve community safety.

Naturewatch Foundation is the only animal welfare charity in the National Rural Crime Network and is widely recognised as the go-to organisation for expertise on wildlife crime and its impact on rural communities.
action icon

We’ve been campaigning for better transparency in animal testing so that the public can know all the facts.

update icon
In 2025, we launched our Forgotten Lives campaign to highlight the potentially hundreds of thousands of additional animals who are bred for British science each year and killed without being used in procedures. These hidden animals aren’t even acknowledged in official government statistics.
action icon

We sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales, and over 650 supporters emailed their MP calling for mandatory training on the role of pets within domestic abuse.

update icon
We launched our One Response report at New Scotland Yard and are now sharing it with key decision makers. Our report exposes a postcode lottery in how police recognise the link between animal abuse and coercive control.
action icon

We launched a campaign urging our supporters to back calls for the enactment of Law 2351 in Ukraine. We also submitted evidence and letters to the Ukrainian government.

update icon
After two years of campaigning by Naturewatch Foundation and other advocates, Law 2351 was passed in November 2021, bringing significant welfare protections animals across Ukraine.
Stay up-to-date by joining our mailing list.

Press releases

Read our latest press releases to find out what’s been in the news.
2026
2025
2024
0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    Secure Checkout
    Fast Shipping
    Easy Returns
    Continue Shopping