FOUR PAWS

Registered charity 1118102 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The charity carries out action to relieve the suffering of animals in need of care, particularly in the areas of animal husbandry, protection of species and their environments, and abolishment of animal testing using peaceful and legal channels. We also work to promote humane behaviour towards animals through education and by providing appropriate care and protection for vulnerable animals.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Animals · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£4.5m
Latest spending
£4.0m
Registered
2007
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £500k for the year ended 31 December 2024, with total income increasing to £4.48m. Unrestricted reserves stood at £2.43m, which the Trustees confirmed exceeded their target of six months' operating costs. The auditor concluded that the use of the going concern basis of accounting was appropriate with no material uncertainties identified.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: 6 months operating costs (held: £2.4m)
“The target level of these reserves was reviewed during 2024 and has been maintained at 6 months operating costs.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Payments made to VIER PFOTEN International for IT support and other services.
“During the year payments totalling £149,554 (2023: £619,405) were made to VIER PFOTEN International and grants of £nil were received (2023: £27,408). At the year end, no amounts were owed to VIER PFOTEN (2023: £31,743). There were no other related party transactions in the year to 31 December 2024.” — page 48
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — FOUR PAWS (matched by registered charity number).

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram · linkedin

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income
£4.5m
Total spending
£4.0m
Cost of raising funds
£1.4m
Reserves (reported)
£2.0m
Employees
31

Reported reserves equal ~6.0 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 30.8% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Australia · Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cambodia · Germany · Hungary · Netherlands · Romania · South Africa · Switzerland · Thailand

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2024£4.5m£4.0m
31/12/2023£4.4m£4.4m
31/12/2022£4.4m£3.9m
31/12/2021£4.7m£4.1m
31/12/2020£3.8m£3.4m

Common questions

Is FOUR PAWS financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £500k for the year ended 31 December 2024, with total income increasing to £4.48m. Unrestricted reserves stood at £2.43m, which the Trustees confirmed exceeded their target of six months' operating costs. The auditor concluded that the use of the going concern basis of accounting was appropriate with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

Who funds FOUR PAWS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name FOUR PAWS as a grant recipient include OLSEN ANIMAL TRUST, THE SERTH AND GATES CHARITY, THE ROSE ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST CIO, THE BERYL EVETTS AND ROBERT LUFF ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST LIMITED, THE GOOD LUCK CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE PETS AT HOME FOUNDATION1£78k
THE JEAN SAINSBURY ANIMAL WELFARE TRUST1£5k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals North Wiltshire and Newbury District Branch.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
FOUR PAWS£4.5m——unclear—no doubt
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals North Wiltshire and Newbury District Branch FY2024£0——unclear—no doubt
PAWZ FOR THOUGHT FY2025£276k—0unclear—no doubt
ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ESSEX MID & NORTH BRANCH CIO FY2025£1.1m—0above—no doubt
NEWCASTLE DOG AND CAT SHELTER FY2025£2.4m——unclear—no doubt
LABORATORY ANIMALS LIMITED FY2024£250k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.