Sick animals charity in appeal for winter help

An animal welfare charity is appealing for help to continue it’s work through the winter.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals provides free and low cost vet care for people who struggle to pay treatment costs for their sick and injured pets.

It says pets have very often been a source of comfort and support for people during the pandemic and is hoping animal lovers will chip in to make sure the charity is there for them.

PDSA vet Lynn James said: “It’s vital that pets and their owners can access our life-saving services and get the treatment they deserve, when they have nowhere else to turn.

“Pets have done so much to improve people’s health and wellbeing, but some are now at increased risk of their owners not being able to afford to help them when they need help.

The charity says that, with more people claiming Universal Credit than before the pandemic and the cost of living crisis squeezing household budgets, many pet owners will be unable to afford essential veterinary treatment.

She added: “Since the first UK lockdown, we’ve already seen an overwhelming increase of additional enquiries from pet owners who have hit hard times.

"Our dedicated vet teams have carried out more than one million phone consultations, performed over 37,000 emergency operations and 76,000 x-rays for pets in desperate need since March 2020. With 388,000 pets treated in 2020, our 48 pet hospitals can be there for the thousands of pets that need us across the UK every day.”

To donate, go to www.pdsa.org.uk/pdsa-chance