The RSPCA is rebranding with a new campaign. The rebrand is likely to be about raising money. A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “financial modelling showed that if we do nothing, we will lose significant income over the next 10 years”.

The supporter base of the RSPCA has been growing older. Look at any photos of volunteers. Younger people can either see through the RSPCA and support their local animal welfare group instead or they are firmly in the AR camp and consider the RSPCA to be a failure.

RSPCA membership has been falling. They have been chasing commercial supporters and have been bailed out by legacies and the sale of their HQ. But it is unlikely that younger people are leaving them legacies. They have to do something for the future or go out of business. That is why they want government to give them powers and, inevitably, fund them.

The new target audience seems to be children and y oung people. Just look at the cartoon characterisations of animals in their campaign material, presenting animals as a demeaning Disneyfication designed to appeal to the very young.. This is doing exactly what they criticise others for – anthropomorphisation and using animals for profit.