THE PDSA and RSPCA have announced a new partnership to help pet owners and animals most in need.
The collaboration looks to safeguard affordable vet care for struggling pet owners, while it also aims for PDSA to become a critical care key provider to some of the 60,000 animals a year rescued by the RSPCA from cruelty and neglect.
The RSPCA will cease providing subsidised public veterinary care at Birmingham Animal Hospital in Newbrook, Frankley, to focus its veterinary services on supporting its frontline officers and treating more rescued animals.
Meanwhile, PDSA will offer support to every pet owner registered at the hospital, giving them access to its three West Midlands Pet Hospitals.
Staff at RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital will continue to treat animals rescued by its frontline teams, animal centres and branches, but will stop its public vet services on December 9 with PDSA opening registrations for RSPCA clients at its pet hospitals from mid-November.
Last year the RSPCA received 537 reports of animal cruelty in the West Midlands, with 1,076 so far in 2022.
RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: “We are already seeing the devastating impact of the crisis with reports of abandoned animals up by almost a quarter, many of which involve animals with complex health issues which will need specialist vet care before we can find them loving new homes.
“By working together with PDSA we can both focus on our strengths, our core charitable objectives, and ours is rescuing the thousands of animals most in need, those who have no one else.
“This is a powerful partnership which helps both people and animals at a time when our services are needed more than ever due to the cost of living crisis.”
