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PDSA has recruited around 20 private practices to help devliver services.

Partnership helps ensure pet owners can access vet care.

Veterinary charity PDSA has revealed that it is now able to offer support to 99 per cent of former RSPCA clients as part of a partnership between the two charities which aims to safeguard access to veterinary care for those struggling with costs.

The partnership began in December 2022 after the RSPCA decided to stop providing subsidised public veterinary care in order to focus its veterinary services on supporting frontline officers and looking after rescued animals.

Three sites have been affected by the change: Birmingham Animal Hospital, Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, and Merthyr Tydfil Animal Clinic.

PDSA, working with the RSPCA to provide a replacement service, is now able to support nearly all former RSPCA clients. To achieve this, it has expanded into 65 new postcode areas and recruited around 20 private veterinary practices to help deliver services to clients who do not live near one of its Pet Hospitals.

However, plans for PDSA to take over the RSPCA’s Finsbury Park Animal Hospital in North London have been dropped after it was found that the cost, resources and time required to integrate the site into PDSA’s Pet Hospitals network would be much greater than originally thought.

The charities are working together to find a way to ensure that a subsidised veterinary service remains available in the North London area and several options are being considered.

As part of the partnership, PDSA is also planning to start providing critical care to animals rescued by the RSPCA and will continue to provide placements to the RSPCA’s veterinary graduates.

Richard Hooker, PDSA director of veterinary services, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be able to offer support to almost all pet owners affected by these changes. We’re also particularly grateful to those vet practices that have signed up to help deliver our schemes in places where we don’t have Pet Hospitals. Protecting the special bond between owners and their pets is part of our mission, and our work to help those most in need is becoming increasingly vital in these financially challenging times.”

Caroline Allen, RSPCA chief veterinary officer, added: “This exciting partnership with PDSA happened at a critical time. We are, sadly, dealing with an increasing number of cruelty cases and abandonments, so being able to focus our veterinary resources on offering specialised care to these sometimes complex cases, is so important.

“The RSPCA has ambitious plans to make a huge and lasting impact for animals, as set out in our strategy Together for Animal Welfare, but we can only do it in partnership with others, including vets who play a vital role on the frontline of caring for animals and also educating the public about welfare issues.”

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