Salvation Army need sleeping bags after helping snow-hit M62 drivers
A TEAM of vets will take to the streets of Huddersfield to provide free care for homeless people’s pets.
Staff from Calder Vets, which has 12 practices across Yorkshire, will visit an on-street soup kitchen in the town on Tuesday, March 20, to support the homeless and their companion animals.
Staff will be on hand to provide the animals with a full health check and any medication or pain relief which may be needed as well as treatments for infections, ticks, fleas and worms.
It’s not the first time the Calder team has provided support to Huddersfield’s homeless. Staff helped spread festive cheer at Christmas by packing 11 rucksacks with essentials and gifts to hand out around the town – as well as 25kg of food, treats, blankets and towels for dogs.
The latest initiative is led by Laura Du Pre and Rachael McGregor, lead veterinary surgeons at Calder Vets’ Denby Dale and Dewsbury practices.
Laura said: “There is often a very close bond between homeless people and their pets. They’re a friend and a companion animal in every sense. We know how much these animals mean to their owners, so we are delighted to offer our support in this way.
“The concept of street vets is a growing one, particularly in London due to the work of the Street Vet charity. We want to bring some of that goodwill to the streets of Yorkshire.”
Staff at Calder Vets are appealing for keen knitters to support the project by knitting blankets for homeless people and their pets. Anyone who can help can drop a blanket off at Calder Vets branches in Lockwood, Waterloo, Denby Dale, Brighouse, Mirfield, Heckmondwike, Dewsbury, Penistone, Wakefield, Sandal, Horbury and Tingley. A TEAM of volunteers who handed out sleeping bags to stranded motorists are appealing for donations to replenish their stock.
Volunteers from Huddersfield Salvation Army were among those deployed to help stricken drivers stuck in the snow on the A62 and M62 last week.
Richard Crankshaw of Meltham was one of six Salvation Army volunteers to take emergency items to the moors.
He said: “We respond to incidents where people have welfare needs and have been displaced. Usually it’s at the request of the fire service but this time mountain rescue, the police and other agencies were involved.
“We took sleeping bags and foil blankets to people. We handed 60 out and people were grateful for them and the warmth the sleeping bags would provide.
“We’re looking for donations to replenish the stock so we have them ready if and when we’re next needed.”
They ask for new, compactstyle sleeping bags as they have limited storage.
Mr Crankshaw added: “Mountain rescue and the team in the 4x4s had to come and get us. The conditions up on Saddleworth Moor were terrible, so we’re glad we could assist in some way.”
Donations of new sleeping bags can be left at the Carlile Institute on Huddersfield Road, Meltham. Mr Crankshaw will collect them.