An animal welfare charity has rebranded after more than a century amid economic uncertainty and climate pressures.
The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) has changed its name to Working Animals International in a bid to make the charity more recognisable.
SPANA was founded in 1923 and has held the same name for over 100 years but has conducted the name change to “more clearly reflect” its mission.
It was founded to improve the lives of working animals in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America by increasing access to veterinary care.
“The charity’s new name highlights […] the urgent need to improve their [working animals’] welfare.”
Linda Edwards, Working Animals International chief executive, said the name change was made after an extensive consultation.
“As climate pressures and economic uncertainty grow, working animals and the communities who rely on them are under increasing strain,” Edwards said.
“We must be in the strongest possible position to support them, and this new identity allows us to do exactly that.”
The charity's most recent annual income, in the year ending 31 December 2024, was £9.96m, marginally below its total expenditure of £10.27m.
It has 41 employees and 12 trustees, according to its Charity Commission listing.
Working Animals International also announced a photography exhibition entitled Impossible to Overlook in Covent Garden, London, running from today until Sunday and showcasing the unrecognised role of working animals worldwide.
Charity rebrands after finding ‘hospice’ a barrier
Meanwhile, a palliative care charity has changed its name and strapline in an attempt to shift perceptions of it as “just a hospice where people go to die”.
Naomi House & Jacksplace has rebranded to Naomi and Jack’s with the word “hospice” removed from its strapline to change the narrative regarding the end-of-life charity.
Its previous strapline – “hospices for children and young adults” – has been replaced with “full lives, however short”.
After a 9,000-strong consultation, the charity found that some families saw the word as a “massive barrier” and subsequently envisioned the charity as a “dark and sad place”.
The charity, which opened nearly 30 years ago and cares for 600 families in Hampshire, said its prior branding had discouraged potential recipients so has sought to address this problem.
“When these families eventually came to Naomi and Jack’s, they realised their perceptions were wrong,” the charity said. “But research showed that this stopped them from accessing the help they needed at the time they needed it.
“The charity deemed this unacceptable, so made some big changes to address this issue.”
The charity, registered as Wessex Children’s Hospice Trust, also said its new trading name allows Jack’s Place, the young adults’ hospice, to take equal prominence to Naomi House, the children’s hospice.
The trust had a total gross income of £9.05m, slightly higher than its expenditure of £9.49m in its most recent accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025.
It has 177 staff members and 12 trustees, as well as 500 volunteers, according to its Charity Commission listing.
Civil Society has approached both charities to ask how much their rebrands cost.
