PDSA launches unwanted gifts appeal
The PDSA is urging the public to donate unwanted Christmas gifts to its charity shops.
The PDSA has launched an unwanted Christmas gift appeal to support its vital veterinary work.
It comes amid rising demand for the charity's services during the cost-of-living crisis, and the problem is only expected to get worse.
In 2021, PDSA treated some 370,000 pets and saved the lives of 134,000 animals. However, the organisation's PAW Report, released the following year, found that almost a third of pet owners are worried about affording veterinary costs.
It followed shocking findings released by the PDSA in 2021, revealing that a staggering 930,000 pets were at risk of being euthanised if their owners were hit with unexpected veterinary bills.
Lloyd Hughes, head of retail and buying at PDSA, urged members of the public to donate their unwanted Christmas items to the organisation's charity shops.
“PDSA receives no government funding and relies solely on public support to fund our vital work,” he said. “Without the money raised in our shops and donations given to us by kind-hearted members of the public, we wouldn’t be able to fund the life-saving treatment we provide in our 48 Pet Hospitals.
“By donating unwanted Christmas gifts, that may otherwise sit in a cupboard or even be thrown away, to our charity shops, people can make a real difference to the lives of pets and their owners, keeping families together.”
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
