WSPA's origins go back more than 50 years. The society's present structure was created in 1981 through the merger of the World Federation for the Protection of Animals (WFPA), founded in 1953, and the International Society for the Protection of Animals (ISPA), founded in 1959.

WFPA and ISPA were the first organisations to campaign internationally on animal welfare issues, highlighting problems such as the Canadian seal hunt, the devastation of the world's whale population and the international transportation of horses. In the early 1960s ISPA established a reputation for its emergency work bringing aid to the animal victims of disasters.

One of WFPA's most significant achievements was the passing of a series of wide ranging animal conventions by the Council of Europe.

From its original bases in the UK and the USA, WSPA has extended and enhanced the work of these organisations. During the early 1980s, new field offices were established in Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Canada which considerably increased the scope of the society's investigations and projects.

Today, WSPA has 13 offices worldwide and over 400,000 individual supporters. WSPA is also the world's largest network of animal protection specialists having a membership of over 850 animal protection societies in 150 countries. The society is represented on numerous international bodies and is the only animal welfare organization to have consultative status at the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

A key area of WSPA's work has been the introduction of animal welfare principles into regions where they were previously under developed or non- existent. WSPA has successfully introduced procedures to ensure the humane slaughter of livestock in many developing countries and has run numerous projects to improve the conditions of stray animal populations. In Eastern Europe, following the political revolution which swept through the region from 1989, WSPA gave resources to many new animal protection groups and contributed to the passing of national animal welfare laws in several countries including Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Building on the experience of ISPA, WSPA staff have brought emergency aid to animals during floods, earthquakes, explosions, famines, oil spills and wars around the world and has built up a reputation as a world leader in this field. Help has been provided for animals in a wide range of situations including the Gulf war; the Kosovo conflict; earthquakes in Gujurat, India in 2000 and El Salvador in 2001; and floods in Honduras and Mozambique during 2000.
WSPA has also undertaken high profile campaigns to focus public opinion on some of the world's most urgent animal welfare problems. In 1985 WSPA took over the work of the International Council Against Bullfighting and since then has led worldwide opposition to this brutal custom. In 1988 WSPA launched the No Fur campaign, which was adopted by over 50 member organisations and took the arguments against the wearing of fur to all corners of the globe. In 1991, the Society's launched Libearty, the World Campaign for Bears, which has highlighted for the first time the plight of this species. Libearty has become one of WSPA's most successful projects establishing sanctuaries for bears rescued from the entertainment industry in Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan and India and fighting to end cruel practices such as dancing bears and bear baiting.

Another of WSPA's most active projects is the Pet Respect Campaign which seeks to alleviate the plight of millions of unwanted companion animals that are often indiscriminately destroyed through cruel methods. WSPA has been active in setting up seminars and humane methods of stray dog and cat control in many countries, including Taiwan, Poland, Cyprus, Grenada, Kenya, India, Romania, Spain, Greece, and Colombia.

Working together with the World Health Organisation, WSPA has produced a set of guidelines on stray animal control aimed at reducing dog populations through neutering and eliminating rabies by vaccination.

To mark the start of the new century WSPA initiated a campaign to secure international legal recognition for the principles of animal welfare. The Universal Declaration for the Welfare of Animals, drafted by WSPA, was unveiled at the Animals 2000 World Congress and has subsequently been ratified by over 270 animal welfare organisation in 78 countries. The ultimate aim of the initiative, which will take some years to achieve, is to have the Declaration ratified by the United Nations and then developed as a Convention on Animal Welfare. The Declaration is being considered by several governments in order to make a formal presentation to the United Nation's Economic and Social Council.

Whilst WSPA is always sure to keep a firm eye on the needs of animals in distress today, this latest initiative is looking forward to a future in which the welfare of all animals is understood and respected by everyone, and protected by effective legislation.