Answers to some frequently asked questions about SPANA and ways to support our vital work
Donations
I am thinking of supporting SPANA. How can I make a donation?
Can I donate via text message?
What is the cheapest way to make a donation? Are debit/credit cards the same?
What is the difference between a standing order and a direct debit?
The SPANA Raffle
Why do you give away prize money for your raffle? Couldn’t that money go to the animals?
Gift Aid
Updating my supporter contact information
My contact details have changed. How can I let you know my new details?
Animal queries
Do you help cats and dogs and other smaller animals in the countries where you work?
I’ve seen an animal in distress in the UK. Can you help?
I’ve witnessed cruelty to a working animal while on holiday. How can you help?
Why can’t working animals be replaced with vehicles?
Why can’t we take the animals away from the owners?
Why are owners cruel? Why do you spend money on education?
I am thinking of supporting SPANA. How can I make a donation?
Thank you so much for considering supporting SPANA. We receive no government funding and are dependent on donations from members of the public, so we are extremely grateful for any donation you can make.
There are several ways to donate to SPANA; we hope one of these will be convenient for you.
You can make a one-off or monthly donation online here.
You can make a donation over the phone by calling our friendly Supporter Engagement team on 0207 831 3999.
You can send a cheque or postal order made payable to SPANA at the address below. Please ensure you enclose your details if you would like an acknowledgement of your donation.
SPANA
PO Box 79509
London
EC4P 4ND
You can print and complete our donation form or regular giving form and send it back to us.
You can make a bank transfer to SPANA using the details below. Please ensure you let us know you have made a transfer by emailing hello@spana.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
Can I donate via text message?
Donating to SPANA by text is easy! To learn how, please visit our donate by text page. Thank you for your support.
What is the cheapest way to make a donation? Are debit/credit cards the same?
We want our supporters to donate in the way that is most convenient for them and we do understand that everyone will have a method that works best for them. However, some methods of donating are more cost effective for us. SPANA pays a processing fee of 0.75% on donations made via debit cards and 2.75% on credit card donations. We pay no processing fees for donations made via cheque or bank transfer (BACS).
What is the difference between a standing order and a direct debit?
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 in a similar way, 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 SPANA.
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.
Why do you give away prize money for your raffle? Couldn’t that money go to the animals?
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.
What is Gift Aid?
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 to SPANA 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 SPANA 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.
My contact details have changed. How can I let you know my new details?
To update your contact information, please fill in the ‘change your details’ form here. You can also email hello@spana.org or call our friendly Supporter Engagement team on 0207 831 3999, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
Do you help cats and dogs and other small animals in the countries where you work?
SPANA is dedicated to improving the lives and welfare of working animals in some of the world’s poorest communities. Our supporters donate so that we can provide treatment for working animals so they can continue helping communities in the countries where we work. Sadly, we do not have the resources to extend our support to other animals.
If you are concerned about a non-working animal overseas it is worth trying an animal or veterinary charity based in the country the animal is in.
I’ve seen an animal in distress in the UK. Can you help?
SPANA was established to work with working animals (horses, donkeys, mules, camels, oxen and elephants) 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.
I’ve witnessed cruelty to a working animal while on holiday. How can you 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.
See our free Holiday Hooves guide for further information.
Why can’t working animals be replaced with vehicles?
Over 50 per cent 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 SPANA 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.
Why can’t we take the animals away from the owners?
The animals that SPANA treats are owned working animals and we have no legal authority to take animals from their owners.
SPANA works hard to encourage owners to take the welfare of their animals seriously, to bring them for regular check-ups, farriery and dentistry. If we were to refuse to return animals to their owners we would very soon find that the number of animals we treat would drop massively, as owners would stay away from us. Animal welfare would suffer as a result.
A working animal is often the only means some people have of earning a livelihood. Taking animals away from their owners doesn’t teach them about taking responsibility for them, so the owner would likely soon replace their animal with another one and the problem would simply continue.
Why are owners cruel? Why do you spend money on education?
What may look like cruelty is often down to desperate poverty and lack of knowledge regarding animal care.
This is why our training and education programmes are so important – while providing veterinary care for these animals, we are also training the owners on animal welfare.
Our schools programme and animal clubs educate children – the future generation of animal owners – about the need to care for animals, building compassion and empathy.
Our education programme forms part of an integrated approach to sensitise whole communities to the importance of animal welfare. This in turn helps to maximise the effectiveness of our veterinary and community training programmes, ultimately leading to lasting change.
How much of my donation goes to the animals?
For every pound we receive in donated funds we spend 70 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 30 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 £3.42.
Why are you supporting animals to work?
SPANA recognises 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.