Shirley Ballas among stars voicing animals in advert for RSPCA 200th anniversary

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, actor Brian Blessed and JLS singer JB Gill are among the stars of a new RSPCA advert marking the charity’s 200th anniversary.

The campaign, For Every Kind, encourages people to show kindness and respect to all animals and not just domestic pets.

Celebrities voice animals including a cow in a battery farm and a bumblebee in a field, while singing to Respect by Aretha Franklin.

It begins with animals being mistreated, before a snail on the road is picked up from the ground and placed in a plant pot, and shows animals being cared for by RSPCA staff.

The RSPCA’s For Every Kind advert shows a snail being saved by a passer-by (RSPCA)

Shirley Ballas, an ambassador for the charity, said the campaign sends an “important message” about respecting animals.

The dancer, who owns a dog named Charlie, said: “I voiced a small chihuahua in the advert which shows how, often without realising, we’re not treating the animals around us with respect.

“It’s not just dogs, that is why For Every Kind is such an important message – we need to be treating all animals, from those that visit our garden to those on farms, with kindness.”

Conservationist and Springwatch presenter Chris Packham also appears in the advert.

The RSPCA is encouraging one million people to perform an act of kindness and celebrate the charity’s milestone.

In an RSPCA survey, more than 2,500 adults in the UK were asked to give their opinion on different animals. It found nine in ten people believed a pet rabbit deserved a “happy and healthy life”.

Fewer than seven in ten people thought rabbits in a laboratory for science or animal testing deserved the same lifestyle.

The survey found 90% of people think dogs can experience happiness, but only 34% for rats and 42% for chickens.

The campaign encourages people to respect all animals and not just domestic pets (RSPCA/PA)

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: “As a society, we love our native birds, but turn a blind eye to the suffering of billions of meat chickens; we love the hedgehogs who visit our garden, but treat rats and foxes as pests.

“We need to realise that all animals have feelings and emotions, many can feel joy, anger, fear and more, and whether they are pets, wildlife, on farms or in labs, they deserve to have a fulfilled life of their own.

“All animals deserve our kindness and respect and the first step to changing the way we treat animals is changing how we see and feel about them,” he said.

“Which is why we are launching our For Every Kind campaign to mark our 200th year. A world that is better for animals is better for us all.”