RSPCA welcomes Royal Mail’s new stamps in celebration of Britain’s pets

The RSPCA has welcomed Royal Mail’s new set of Special Stamps celebrating some of the nation’s best-loved pets - and is encouraging anyone inspired to welcome an animal into their family to consider rehoming.

The 10-stamp collection features a range of much-loved companion animals, of dogs, cats, rabbits*, guinea pigs, hamsters, budgerigar, cockatiel, fish and fancy rats* - animals the RSPCA cares for and helps to find loving new homes.

Jo Rowland, Chief Executive at the RSPCA, said: “Pets bring so much joy, companionship and comfort to our lives, so it’s wonderful to see that bond recognised, and to see so many of the animals we care for and rehome recognised in this new stamp collection.

“Every pet deserves the chance to live a happy, healthy life in a loving home. For any animal lovers who are inspired by these stamps to welcome a pet into their family, we’d really encourage them to consider rehoming. We have so many wonderful animals waiting for another chance, and giving an animal a home can be an incredibly rewarding experience.”

The charity is also reminding prospective owners that bringing an animal into the family is a long-term commitment, and that each animal has their own needs which should be carefully considered before adoption.

It comes as the charity has revealed it has reached a crisis point with more than 7,000 animals in their care in England and Wales at any one time. The charity’s centres are full and they have more than 1,500 animals in emergency boarding kennels, catteries and stables waiting for foster care or a place in a centre.

Shocking figures released by the RSPCA as part of its ‘Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues’  campaign also show further pressures after seeing a massive 64% increase in summer cruelty to animals over the last five years. Last year during the summer the RSPCA received one call every 10 minutes to its cruelty line.

Jo Rowland, pictured right, added: “Our teams are working incredibly hard to care for animals in need, but the demand for our services remains high and our capacity is under real pressure.

“Rehoming and fostering can make a huge difference - not only to that animal, but also by helping to create space for us to support other animals who urgently need our help.

“We hope Royal Mail’s celebration of pets will encourage even more people to think about the joys of responsible pet ownership, and perhaps consider whether rehoming could be right for them.”

The announcement comes months after the Bank of England revealed that future banknotes will feature wildlife which was also welcomed by the RSPCA.

The charity said some of the UK’s wildlife are often misunderstood, and even unfairly labelled as “pests” and hoped the new banknotes could help change perceptions and encourage people to see the value of all wildlife. For more information about the animals in RSPCA’s care, visit the charity’s Find a Pet page.