8 animals which changed the world - from Lucy the Spaniel to to Tilikum the orca

The RSPCA has made a huge difference to animals’ lives around the globe since being founded 200 years ago.

The world ’s oldest and largest animal welfare organisation began on June 16, 1824 when MPs William Wilberforce and Richard Martin met with other animal lovers at Old Slaughter’s Coffee House in London.

While in its time the charity has helped change society, many of the animals it has championed have also had a huge impact on our world.

Here are some of the most remarkable animal tales.

Jofi the therapy dog

Freud started allowing Jofi into his psychotherapy sessions in the 1920s and 1930s

Chow chow Jofi was owned by Sigmund Freud and helped change attitudes towards the therapeutic benefits of the human-animal bond.

Freud started allowing Jofi into his psychotherapy sessions in the 1920s and 1930s.

He soon began to notice that she was a calming presence, putting patients at ease and encouraging them to open up. The difference was especially marked when he was dealing with children, who seemed more willing to talk openly when Jofi was there.

Sam Gaines, head of companion animals at the RSPCA, said: “Our pets have a huge effect on our mental health, as we saw through the pandemic.

“But it’s also really important that we protect their mental health.”

Cher Ami the carrier pigeon

Cher Ami, a homing pigeon during the First World War

Pigeons are not always the most popular birds, but they played a key role in the world wars by carrying messages across the battlefield.

Some were even awarded medals, while Cher Ami, a homing pigeon during the First World War, has a permanent exhibit at a museum in the US.

Flying through gunfire in 1918, Cher Ami delivered a message to stop the Americans firing on their own troops. The note saved lives. RSPCA scientific and policy officer Rebecca Machin said: “Many animals were sent to serve alongside British troops in France and Belgium – horses, mules, donkeys, dogs as well as pigeons.

“Pigeons are amazing birds and Cher Ami is one of the heroes.”

Dolly the sheep

Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell

World-famous Dolly, named after singer Dolly Parton, was the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Rosin Institute grew her from a single mammary cell, dispro-ving the belief that specialised adult cells only had info to do a specific job. Use of biotech in animals has increased steadily since her birth in July 1996. It is still illegal to sell food produced from cloned animals but this will ultimately be permitted, under last year’s The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, once animal welfare guidelines have been drawn up.

RSPCA animal welfare expert Dr Penny Hawkins said: “We are concerned about the harmful procedures involved in creating gene-edited animals, and the unpredictable and instant changes that can occur in these individuals.” Dolly was put to sleep aged six. She had a progressive lung disease and severe arthritis.

Anne the last circus elephant

She was rescued from the Bobby Roberts Super Circus

Kept in appalling conditions, shackled and beaten, Anne’s treatment shocked the nation.

She was rescued from the Bobby Roberts Super Circus after secret footage caught the sickening abuse in 2011. The outrage eventually led to a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses which came into effect in January 2020.

After more than 50 years of physical and mental hardship, Anne is now being looked after at Longleat Safari Park, Wilts.

Darren added: “We are very proud of Anne as she continues to live here in her retirement home with the

very specialist one-to-one care that she requires.”

The emotional octopus

Filmmaker Craig Foster forged an unusual friendship with a female octopus living in a South African kelp forest

Heartwarming Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher hit our screens in 2020, following diver and filmmaker Craig Foster who forges an unusual friendship with a female octopus living in a South African kelp forest.

The film showed her intelligence, outsmarting predators and her daily fight for survival, and revealed her curiosity and playfulness, following and interacting with the filmmaker.

The programme, which was viewed millions of times, came at an important time when the UK was debating the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill and many, including the RSPCA, argued that decalopod crustaceans and cephalopods were capable of feeling and needed to be recognised in the bill. They were added to the bill, giving them improved legal protection.

Lucy the spaniel

When Lucy was rescued from a Welsh puppy farm in 2013, after being kept in a cage most of her life, the five-year-old’s hips had fused together.

She had a curved spine, bald patches and epilepsy. But she was re-homed and become the focus of the Lucy’s Law campaign to ban pet shops and dealers from selling puppies.

The law, requiring all dogs to be bought from breeders or reputable rescue organisations, came into force in 2010. David Bowles, RSPCA head of public affairs, said: “Although there are loopholes in this law, Lucy’s story really had a part to play in highlighting the illegal puppy trade.

“Our rescuers are all too aware of the illegal puppy trade, rescuing dogs from unimaginable cruelty and hideous conditions. We call for stronger legislation to safeguard these pups,” he added.

Tilikum the orca

Tilikum died in 2017 but his role in the film brought the ethics of using animals in entertainment to the fore

Tilikum came to the world’s attention in 2013 as part of the documentary Blackfish, which exposed how orcas in captivity suffer psychological trauma. He spent most of his life at Seaworld Orlando in Florida and was involved in three of the four fatal attacks on humans by orcas in captivity.

Tilikum died in 2017 but his role in the film brought the ethics of using animals in entertainment to the fore. His death led to campaigns urging tourists to avoid holiday activities that might involve animals suffering.

Ros Clubb, the RSPCA’s head of wildlife, said: “The tragedy of Tilikum and his trainers drew attention to the impact of animals used in entertainment.

“While the UK saw an end to the use of dolphins in the 1990s, sadly, Seaworld and other facilities around the world continue to exhibit orcas and other whales and dolphins who struggle in such a captive environ- ment.”

The donkey that changed the law

When, in 1822, the RSPCA’s founding member, lawyer Richard Martin, led a badly injured donkey into court, there were gasps.

The animal’s injuries at the hands of defendant Bill Burns, were horrific – ribs could be seen through the flesh and large wounds covered its back. It was the first ever prosecution for animal cruelty, and while the stunt was ridiculed, it symbolised a change in the history of animal rights.

Martin’s pioneering efforts in passing the Cattle Act of 1822, which aimed to prevent cruelty to cattle and horses in England and was the first legislation in the world to protect animals, laid the foundation of what would become the RSPCA two years later.

The organisation has since helped to change 400 laws, improving animal welfare.