Animal charity scoops prize to help promote preventive healthcare message

THE PDSA has received a £50,000 boost to help save more pets’ lives after being unveiled as the winner of a national charity initiative.

The month-long Vote that Counts competition, run by the People’s Postcode Trust in partnership with the People’s Postcode Lottery and Daily Mirror, involved nine of the UK's biggest charities.

PDSA secured backing from celebrities including Hollywood star Katherine Heigl and comedian Eddie Izzard during the campaign to drive the nation to vote to support animal welfare.

PDSA, which treats thousands of animals every day through its UK network of 51 pet hospitals, will 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.

Senior veterinary surgeon at PDSA, Sean Wensley, said: “We are thrilled to secure this important funding. It has only been made possible thanks to the amazing support of people from all over the country. We’re extremely grateful to everybody who took the time to vote for us and also to the People’s Postcode Trust for giving us the opportunity to be part of such a great initiative.
 
“Our research has revealed millions of pets could die needlessly from preventable diseases over the next 10 years. This is not an acceptable scenario for us and we want to do all we can to avoid this.
 
“The prize money will enable us to make a massive difference to the lives of thousands of pets. It will be used to deliver life-saving care packages, including full health MOTs for pets and guidance on vaccinations, neutering and microchipping.”

Four further charities – RNLI, MS Society, Childline and the Alzheimer’s Society – also benefited from the Vote that Counts competition after securing runner-up prizes of £10,000 each, while a further £10,000 will be awarded to a local charity, with the winner announced next year.