Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is working in partnership with the RSPCA on a project which aims to save the lives of thousands of animals across England and Wales.

The three-year partnership scheme, called "The Networking Project," will enable the charity to find new homes for pets by providing much-needed transport across the country for sick and injured wildlife, as well as rescued and abandoned domestic animals.

As part of the partnership, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will provide six Crafter panel vans which will be specially converted for use by the animal welfare charity. Each of the short wheelbase CR30 2.0-litre TDI 136 PS BlueMotion Crafters will be converted to exact specifications provided by the RSPCA’s operations team, allowing for a variety of different animals to be safely transported around the country.

The RSPCA will also benefit from low running costs thanks to strong residual values and a fuel efficient engine that returns 39.8 mpg (combined) and emits only 187 g/km of CO₂, according to the automaker. This helps to save money and reduces the fleet’s impact on the environment.

The vans will be decorated in colorful wraps – winning designs from a national schools design competition. The campaign, which is focused on educating children on animal welfare, is open until 30 September.