Rooney with his owner Kathleen Dove.

PDSA urges owners to stop smoking for the sake of their pets

A dog who developed a smokers cough is now almost completely cured after his owner quit smoking.

PDSA vets warned Kathleen Dove last summer that her smoking could be contributing to the persistent cough her Jack Russell terrier cross, Rooney (11), was suffering from.

The 68-year-old, who had smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day from the age of 15, quit immediately and says it made a huge difference to Rooney’s life.

“I always tried not to smoke around him,” she said. “But the vets told me that my habit could still have been affecting him and making his cough worse.

“I haven’t looked back since and I’m so glad I did it because the difference in Rooney is amazing. His cough is almost non-existent now and he seems much better.”

Today marks National No Smoking Day - a campaign led by the British Heart Foundation to help people who want to quit.

By sharing Kathleen’s story, the PDSA hopes to encourage more owners to give up for the sake of their pet’s health.

“Prolonged exposure to smoking can cause chronic breathing difficulties or cancer in pets as well as people,” said PDSA vet Vicki Larkham-Jones.

“Thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’re spending more time with clients, like Kathleen, who smoke and encouraging them to think about their four-legged-friends before they light up.

“If people feel they can’t stop smoking or don’t wish to, then we would urge them to consider going outside to smoke. Then their pet isn’t forced to breathe in the harmful toxins.”

Image (C) PDSA