Friday 2nd May marks our outgoing CEO Kirsteen Campbell’s last day with the Scottish SPCA. She has shared a special message to all our supporters, colleagues, volunteers, partners and friends in an open letter.
To every colleague, volunteer, supporter and partner of the Scottish SPCA — thank you.
Thank you for working through pandemics, storms, crises, and heartbreak. Thank you for every animal you saved, every person you inspired, every life you changed. Thank you for never giving up.
When I took up the role of Chief Executive at the Scottish SPCA almost eight years ago, I knew I was joining an organisation with a powerful legacy. What I had no idea about was the importance of our work to every community in Scotland, or of the relationship between animals, people and the environment, or that behind an animal in need there is very often a person struggling too. And what I could not have imagined is how proud I would be today — reflecting on how far we have come together, how many lives we have changed and written better futures for, and how courageously we have adapted to meet Scotland’s ever-growing animal welfare needs.
These last eight years may only be but a moment of this incredible organisation’s 185-year history, but in this time, we have worked hard to better prepare for the future – a future we now face with confidence.
As I prepare to pass on the baton to my successor, I want to take a moment to say thank you, to every person who works at the Scottish SPCA, who volunteers, who donates, who advocates on behalf of animals in Scotland and beyond — you are the heart of this organisation. It has been the greatest honour of my life to stand alongside you.
What we have achieved together
Over the past eight years, the Scottish SPCA has not just grown — we have transformed and innovated.
• We’re helping more animals than ever before and preventing harm before it happens. Educating and inspiring, partnering, extending our reach.
• Building a community-first approach is enabling us to meet people and animals where they need us most – in their homes and gardens and on their farms. In the last year alone our Pet Aid programme has supported more than 50 foodbanks and helped over 16,000 pets and owners with food and veterinary support.
• Where intervention has been required, we’ve been there 365 days a year. And over the last eight years we’ve handled 1.45 million calls to our helpline, investigated cruelty and neglect and presented cases that have led to 591 prosecutions, and cared for more than 115,000 pets, farmed animals and wildlife arriving into our centres.
• Thanks to our improved behavioural support, improving animals’ experiences while in our care, and our expanding fostering programme, animals are moving into loving homes and being released to thrive in the wild faster. With pets spending 30% fewer days in our care than they did just two years ago.
• To do all this (and more) we needed stability and security. Through incredibly hard work we managed to grow our income by 60% in a challenging economic climate while modernising our charity, finding efficiencies and becoming a more sustainable organisation.
• Investing in pay and benefit structures, colleague wellbeing, and learning and development programmes have helped to strengthen our incredibly talented and hardworking people to ensure we’re always at the top of our game.
• And our army of dedicated volunteers has grown by more than 70% with 1,805 volunteers last year alone giving their time to support the delivery of our services the length and breadth of Scotland. At the same time we’ve welcomed more young people through our doors than ever before.
The progress we’ve made is testament to the commitment of every colleague, volunteer, partner and donor prioritising the welfare of animals in Scotland.
Proud as I am, I am also realistic. As my time at the Scottish SPCA comes to an end I’m under no illusion that the next chapter for this great organisation will continue to be challenging.
Demand for our services continues to rise. In 2024, animal arrivals surged as more families struggled with the cost of living. Calls about giving up a pet increased by 24%, with financial hardship being the primary reason.
Of course, we all recognise that Scotland’s charity sector is under more strain than at any point in living memory, dealing with funding pressures, rising costs and increased need – challenges that are not short-term, but have become systemic risks impacting the sector day in, day out.
We forecast that it will cost over £25m to run Scottish SPCA services in 2025, that’s 72% more than eight years ago. To fund this, our charity relies entirely on the generosity of the Scottish public, with no government funding. And this generosity from all our donors, funders, corporate partners, and legacy supporters will never be taken for granted and is needed now more than ever.
A call to action
The Scottish SPCA has always led from the front. As Scotland’s only all-animal rescue service, with unique enforcement powers, we must continue to lead.
We must keep pushing to:
• Prevent harm before it happens — through our Pet Aid services, education initiatives, and early intervention measures.
• Fight cruelty wherever it occurs — from illegal puppy farms to badger baiting to the neglect of farm animals, we must always prioritise Scottish SPCA’s core mission to protect all animals, always.
• Strengthen communities — ensuring we are supporting all animals and people in the way they need us today and tomorrow, developing innovative new services in collaboration with partners wherever it will make a difference, be that locally or nationally.
• Shape the future — lobbying government, influencing legislation, educating the next generation, and challenging outdated perceptions of the charity sector’s role in communities across Scotland.
We must also ask Scotland’s leaders to stand with us. Charities are not an optional extra — we are essential services. We deserve a sustainable policy landscape, and a seat at the policymaking table, and recognition of the vital role we play in keeping Scotland humane, compassionate, and just – and where it’s needed, yes, Scotland’s charities deserve a sustainable funding environment.
My over-riding message as I finish up as Scottish SPCA’s CEO, is that as a charity, and as a society, we must continue to innovate, collaborate, and evolve — or risk losing ground when animals and people need us more than ever. We have worked hard to ensure we can rise to any challenges which come our way, and with the right support we can continue to do so for many years to come.
Thank you all
As I move on, know this: I believe with all my heart that the Scottish SPCA’s best days are ahead, and we can face the future with confidence.
We are building a sustainable organisation rooted in professionalism, compassion, and a relentless determination to make Scotland the best place in the world for an animal to call home.
We have a supportive board and a strong executive team leading the delivery of a plan that’s working.
The future of Scotland’s animals is in our hands.
Thank you all.
Kirsteen Campbell
CEO (outgoing)
Scottish SPCA
2nd May 2025
