Pet health charity celebrates century of free treatment

PDSA set up to help animals in the First World War

Pet well-being charity the PDSA has celebrated 100 years of treating sick and injured animals.

Maria Dickin, the charity’s founder and animal welfare campaigner, was struck by the nation’s poverty and the suffering of pets during the First World War.

So in 1917 she set up her first dispensary for sick animals of the London East End’s poor in a cellar where animals could receive treatment free of charge.

Outside the dispensary was a sign which read: “Bring your sick animals. Do not let them suffer. All animals treated. All treatment free.”

In 1921, Ms Dickin transformed a caravan into the first horsedrawn travelling clinic, visiting animals across the UK.

This service was in great demand and its work spread over the following years.

During the 1920s the charity had treatment centres throughout Kent – in Medway, Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay, Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Dover and Whitstable. During the Second World War, PDSA Animal Rescue Squads helped to treat and save more than 250,000 pets injured and lost.

Maria Dickin died in 1951, and by the late 1950s the only service still in operation was Chatham.

But the mobile operation continued to travel across Kent, treating thousands of pets each year.

The PDSA now operates 48 hospitals across the UK, supported by a chain of 130 shops and volunteers. Sooming Teoh, senior vet at the Gillingham PDSA Pet Hospital, said: “The story of PDSA is a truly remarkable journey from such humble beginnings during the Great War.

“What emerged from one woman’s attempts to alleviate animal suffering has blossomed into the UK’s leading vet charity.

“Over the last century we have provided an astonishing 100m treatments to 20m pets.

“It costs £60m to deliver our veterinary services alone and, with no government funding, we rely entirely on the goodwill of our supporters.

“So I’d appeal to anyone who believes in PDSA to visit our website and pledge their support.” For more information, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/pdsa100.

Children queue with their pets outside an early PDSA clinic

PDSA founder Maria Dickin