Vet charity PDSA is in the running for a £50,000 boost to help it save more pets’ lives. The charity, which treats thousands of animals every day through its UK network of 51 pet hospitals, says it would use the winnings to fund an initiative focused on preventable diseases, which claim the lives of hundreds of dogs, cats and other pets every day.
PDSA is one of nine national charities shortlisted in the ‘Vote that Counts’ competition, run by People’s Postcode Trust, with a first prize of £50,000.
Nicola Martin, PDSA’s Head of Pet Health and Welfare, said: “Our vision is a healthy life for all our pets and we want to stop animals suffering and dying from diseases that are avoidable
“Research shows that millions of pets suffer needlessly from entirely preventable illnesses.
“We can’t ignore this and we are counting on the nation’s animal lovers to vote for PDSA, so we can do more to help stop this. It only takes a few clicks to cast your vote, which would make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of family pets across the country.”
Nicola added: “£50,000 will help us to deliver life-saving care packages including guidance on preventive treatments such as vaccinations and neutering, alongside full health ‘MOTs’ and action plans.”
The Vote that Counts takes place between 24 September and 21 October. Individuals can vote for PDSA by visiting www.votethatcounts.org/charity/pdsa Spreading the word through Facebook or Twitter gives animal lovers the opportunity to vote again. A further four runner up prizes of £10,000 are also available.
Vote that Counts is run by People’s Postcode Trust in partnership with The Daily Mirror and People’s Postcode Lottery. PDSA is competing against eight other charities in Great Britain for the chance to receive the £50,000 donation.
PDSA has been helping sick and injured pets and their owners since 1917. Today it runs over 50 pet hospitals in the UK and carries out more than 2.3 million free treatments every year at a cost of over £60million. The charity doesn’t receive any government funding and so relies on the generosity of animal lovers to fund its service and help it promote responsible pet ownership.