Frequently asked questions

Thank you so much for considering supporting Working Animals International. We receive no government funding and are dependent on donations from members of the public, so we are extremely grateful for any donation.

There are several ways to donate to Working Animals International; we hope one of these will be convenient for you.

1. You can make a one-off or monthly donation online.

1. You can make a donation over the phone by calling our friendly Supporter Engagement team on 0207 831 3999. 
2. You can send a cheque or postal order made payable to Working Animals International at the address below. Please ensure you enclose your details if you would like an acknowledgement of your donation.

Working Animals International

PO Box 79509

London

EC4P 4ND

1. You can print and complete our donation form or regular giving form and send it back to us. 
2. You can make a bank transfer to Working Animals International using the details below. Please ensure you let us know you have made a transfer by emailing hello@workinganimals.org so we can send an acknowledgement of your kind donation.

Bank: NatWest

Account name: The Society for Protection of Animals Abroad

Sort code: 56-00-33. Account number: 48321311.

Reference: Please add your name here

Donating to Working Animals International by text is easy! To learn how, please visit our donate by text page. Thank you for your support. 

Donate by text

Donating via either a standing order or direct debit is a fantastic way to provide working animals with regular, consistent support.

Direct debits and standing orders work similarly, in that they are repeating payments made from a bank account. Direct debits are our preferred method as they are more cost-effective and are easily administered by Working Animals International.

Donations made via direct debit are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee, so if an error is made, the donor is guaranteed an immediate refund by their bank.

Standing orders are a more traditional way of making a regular donation. Only the donor can make changes or cancel the arrangement by contacting their bank. If a mistake is made, it is the donor’s responsibility to take the matter up with their bank.

Working Animals International will take your designated amount monthly on the day you specify until such time as you cancel your subscription or ask us to stop your regular payments. Missed monthly payments will automatically be attempted again unless you instruct us otherwise. If payments are taken in error, please contact us so we can investigate and refund you.

To update your contact information, please fill in the ‘change your details’ form. You can also email hello@workinganimals.org or call our friendly Supporter Engagement team on 0207 831 3999, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

Gift Aid is a scheme which allows charities to claim the tax you have paid on a donation. It is a fantastic way to make your donation toWorking Animals International worth even more, as we are able to claim 25 pence on every pound donated – at no extra cost to you!

For more details on the Gift Aid scheme and how it works, please see the government’s official guidelines.

To ensure Working Animals International claims Gift Aid on your donation, please fill in the online form here. If you would like to speak to one of our Supporter Engagement team, they can also arrange to send you a form or take a Gift Aid declaration over the telephone. Please call the team on 0207 831 3999, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

To register for Gift Aid, you must confirm that you are a UK taxpayer and pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year; it is your responsibility to pay any difference. You must also notify us if your name, address or taxpayer status changes.

If you have any further questions regarding Gift Aid or would like more information about any area of our work, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We get a fantastic response from our raffle, and our supporters enjoy entering. It means we can raise much more money for our vital work than the cost of the prize money, so it really is a very worthwhile activity! Our raffles typically raise around £80,000, and all profits go towards helping working animals in need.

We support working animals only, like horses, donkeys, oxen, camels, mules, and working dogs. While many animals need care, we focus our efforts where we can make the greatest impact with the resources we have.

If you’re concerned about a non-working animal overseas, you can take action by contacting a local animal welfare or veterinary organisation in that country.

Local charities and vets are often best placed to respond, with the knowledge, networks and resources needed to support animals in their communities.

Working Animals International (formerly SPANA) was established to work with working animals – including horses, donkeys, mules, camels, oxen, elephants and dogs – in low-income countries around the world.

In line with our charitable mission and purpose, we do not and cannot work with any animals in the UK. If you have concerns regarding an animal in the UK, please contact a local animal charity or vet, or visit the World Federation for Animals to find an organisation in the area that may be able to help.

If you see any mistreatment of animals, you should write to your tour operator and the country’s Tourist Board, stating your concerns and reporting your experiences.

Ethical animal tourism

Over 50% of the world’s population is dependent on a working animal for their livelihoods. Working animals such as donkeys, horses and camels plough fields, carry goods to and from local markets and transport people and essential items like food and water.

Due to the high costs of fuel, maintenance and lack of infrastructure, it simply isn’t possible to provide an alternative to relying on animals. Animals can work free from pain and suffering, and Working Animals International works to ensure animal owners understand how to care for their animals. We also educate children on how to show kindness and compassion to animals. Our training and teaching work, coupled with our provision of free veterinary treatment, ensures we are creating a better future for working animals.

The working animals we support belong to their owners, and we do not have the legal authority to take them away.

But more importantly, removing animals would not lead to better welfare.

We work with owners to improve how animals are cared for, encouraging regular check-ups, farriery and dentistry. If owners believed they might lose their animals, many would stop seeking treatment altogether. Fewer animals would receive care, and welfare would suffer.

For many families, a working animal is their main source of income. If one animal were taken away, it would likely be replaced, without addressing the underlying challenges. Instead, we focus on supporting owners to care for their animals in a way that leads to lasting change.

Education is central to our approach. We work with owners to share practical skills and knowledge so they can care for their animals with confidence. We also work with children (the next generation of working animal owners) through school programmes and animal clubs.

By building understanding, empathy and responsibility, we help create long-term improvements in animal welfare. And by working with communities, we strengthen the impact of our veterinary care and support lasting change for working animals.

For every pound we receive in donated funds, we spend 68 pence directly on our lifesaving work with working animals. We constantly work to make sure we are spending this as effectively and efficiently as possible, so we can help as many animals as possible.

We spend a further 32 pence of each pound on ongoing costs and generating further income, which is essential for ensuring we can continue our work and reach a wider audience, whilst raising more funds to help even more animals. In addition, for every pound we spend on fundraising, we generate £3.70.

We recognise that working animals play a critical role in the survival of many low-income communities. A working animal is often the only means some people have of earning money for their family.

Our mission is to transform the welfare of working animals in a world where animals, people and the environment are respected and thrive. It would be very cruel not to treat an injured or ill animal, and animal welfare would suffer as a result. In addition to providing free veterinary treatment and care to working animals in need, we also work to bring about long-term improvements in animal welfare by training owners how best to care for their animals and by teaching children about the need to care for animals.