Providing pet healthcare and wellbeing

PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity; providing free and reduced cost veterinary care to pets in need.

The charity has been a lifeline for pets for over 100 years, providing treatment to more than 20 million beloved family pets.

Through its nationwide network of 48 Pet Hospitals, PDSA cares for over 388,000 pets each year. The charity's amazing vet teams help ensure a lifetime of health and happiness for pets by treating illnesses and injuries, providing preventive care and educating owners.

For pets and owners across the country, PDSA is their only emergency service. The charity believes no pet should suffer due to financial hardship.

When the pandemic hit, pets continued to get sick and injured. As owners were impacted by reduced hours, furlough and redundancy, they turned to PDSA for help. The charity predicts that as owners continue to be affected by economic downturn of the pandemic an extra 50,000 more pets will become eligible and need their support.

But, despite multiple lockdown and the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus, PDSA continued to provide its vital services. They introducing a remote consultation system, thanks to player funding, to ensure pets got the life-saving care they desperately needed.

Support from players has helped PDSA to provide emergency care and life-saving equipment in its Pet Hospitals. Funds have helped develop vital projects, such as pet first aid workshops, provided advice on medical conditions through digital content, and funded PetWise MOT and School programmes.

In 2021 funds will help provide treatment and education projects to improve pet wellbeing:

• Treatment for long-lasting medical conditions in pets, as well as painkillers used in both emergency and chronic cases for pets eligible for free treatment.
• £500K towards the costs of a new Pet Wellbeing Centre to offer more pet owners access to its services
• Pet Health Hub – funded thanks to players since 2018, this is an online hub of engaging information for owners on how to keep pets happy and healthy

Every year PDSA cares for over 30,000 pets suffering from heart disease. Without ongoing care and medication, many of these pets would die. But thanks to the support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, PDSA is able to keep pets with their families.

Over £11.6 million has been raised for PDSA by players.