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Vet charity warns of ‘pet poverty’ crisis
The number of people enquiring to see if they are eligible for PDSA's services rose by 59 per cent over the summer.
“We’re experiencing unprecedented demand for our services” - Jan McLoughlin, PDSA director-general.

Veterinary charity PDSA has warned of a ‘pet poverty’ crisis in the UK as many owners struggle with the financial impact of COVID-19.

The charity predicts that as many as 50,000 more pets will be eligible for its services over the coming months as a direct result of the economic hardship caused by the pandemic.

As such, the PDSA has launched an Emergency Appeal to raise vital funds so it can continue to care for pets across the UK.

Jan McLoughlin, PDSA director-general, said: “This winter, we’re facing the biggest challenge in our charity’s history. We’re experiencing unprecedented demand for our services, and since the start of lockdown, we have carried out more than 10,000 emergency and essential operations for pets in need.”

She added: “I’ve not known a pet care crisis like it in the 19 years I’ve been at PDSA. Without charitable support from the public, our PDSA Pet Hospitals may not be able to meet this additional demand for our services.”

Over the summer, the number of people enquiring to see if they are eligible for PDSA’s services rose by 59 per cent. Enquiries to PDSA’s Pet Hospitals from owners eligible for these services also increased by 81 per cent, adding more pressure to the organisation’s already-busy veterinary teams. 

PDSA vet Paul Manktelow said: “We’re experiencing the start of a pet welfare crisis, as a result of Covid-19. We’re now facing extremely high levels of enquiries for our services. On average, we’re providing 2,000 remote consultations every day to desperate pet owners in need. For many sick and injured pets, whose owners are struggling financially, PDSA is their only emergency service.”

He added: “2020 has been a hard year for everyone and the pandemic has impacted on all our lives, but innocent pets shouldn’t suffer as a result of their owner’s hardship. As a nation of pet lovers, I hope people will support PDSA’s Emergency Appeal so that together we can reduce the impact of pet poverty caused by the pandemic.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.