The Chronicle

Many thanks for helping the PDSA

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ON behalf of vet charity PDSA, which has busy pet hospitals in Newcastle and Gateshead, I would like to say a huge thank you to all local players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We have received fantastic funding support from players this year, which is particular­ly special as we celebrate 100 years of saving pets and changing lives. It was on 17 November, 1917 that the charity’s founder, Maria Dickin, first set up a dispensary for sick animals of the poor in London’s East End.

Over the following years our work spread in response to public demand and PDSA now operates 48 pet hospitals across the UK, supported by a national chain of around 120 charity shops, and a dedicated army of volunteers.

During our Centenary year, funding from players is helping us deliver projects that prevent illness and disease, as well as educate pet owners and children on how to care for animals. So far this year we have:

Educated over 40,000 children through our PetWise Schools programme which promotes animal welfare...

Completed 191 school visits, equipping the next generation of pet owners with the skills they need to provide the five welfare needs for pets to be happy and healthy...

Carried out over 1,200 free PetWise MOTs on dogs through our PetCheck tour across 58 separate events, including visits MY name is Carole Attard and I live in Australia. I moved here about 35 years ago.

I have lots of really old photos of the Kilkenny family from Gateshead - Lily Kilkenny married to Thomas Corbett; really old photos of Patrick (Paddy) Kilkenny working on to Cramlingto­n, Wallsend and Longbenton...

Equipped 1,705 pet owners and visitors with general pet health advice through our PetCheck tour.

Data from our 2018 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report shows that only 38% of pet owners are familiar with the Animal Welfare Acts which outline everything pets need to lead healthy and happy lives.

Thanks to the national scale of our work, we are ideally placed to be able to support and educate not only our own clients, but also the wider petowning the railroad and of Bobby Kilkenny. My grandmothe­r was Elizabeth Kilkenny. I would love to pass these on to the Kilkenny family. CAROLE ATTARD, nee Houliston, Email: carole. attard@gmail.com public on all aspects of pet wellbeing.

During the second half of our Centenary year, and thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we will unveil a new PetWise on Tour vehicle; create an online digital pet health resource providing a wealth of informatio­n for pet owners; and further develop our PetWise Schools scheme to celebrate those schools which go one step further at championin­g pet welfare amongst their students.

So much has already been achieved due to the fantastic support we’ve received thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, but there is still much more to be done. 2018 marks a very special year for PDSA, and these projects help us to further our mission for a lifetime of wellbeing for every pet, whilst ensuring a long-term legacy that will support thousands of pet owners in different ways. REBECCA ASHMAN,

PDSA Vet

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