Love Island star Rosie in first aid plea to pet owners

16 August 2018

Reality star urges owners to learn lifesaving skills

Love Island star Rosie Williams today has backed a campaign to equip pet owners with life-saving first aid skills during a visit to our Cardiff Pet Hospital.

Animal lover Rosie, who owns to Shih Tzu's called Tito and Mitzy, wants more people to get clued up on first aid for our four-legged friends, explaining that ignorance can cost lives.

Fresh from her stint at the Love Island villa, Rosie (26) gave her support as she dropped in to our hospital in Trident Park, Cardiff, to meet staff and poorly pet patients.

Rosie, from Glamorgan, South Wales, also learned pet first aid skills such as CPR and bandaging during the visit. The reality TV star said it’s important for more pet owners to brush up on their knowledge.

She said: “PDSA is a fantastic charity and I’ve loved coming along today to meet all the poorly pets and see the great work that goes on behind the scenes.

“My dogs mean the world to me and, while I hope it never happens, I want to know what to do in the event of an emergency.

“Most people know they need to get their pet to a vet as soon as possible. But if they were choking or had stopped breathing, what then? I didn’t realise there were things you can do to help save their life.

“PDSA have created a fantastic free pet first aid guide for owners which gives lots of great tips and step-by-step instructions for performing techniques such as pet CPR.”

Over 1,000 pet owners and animal workers have been equipped with life-saving pet first aid skills over the last 18 months thanks to PDSA. One of them, Janet Latreche from Oldham, put her skills into practice within days, saving her beloved Spaniel, Milton, who was choking on a plastic toy during the night.

But many owners are not aware of simple steps they can take to help stabilise a pet in an emergency situation.

Karen Jones, Head Nurse at Cardiff PDSA Pet Hospital, said: “Many people are aware of first aid for humans but far fewer realise you can also provide first aid to a pet. It doesn’t replace veterinary treatment but we can equip pet owners with valuable skills. In an emergency, these could help save a pet’s life until further treatment can be sought from a vet.

“We’re grateful to Rosie for visiting our Pet Hospital and getting behind our campaign.”

Our new pet first aid guide includes step-by-step instructions on what to do in the event of a road traffic accident, as well as if your pet is poisoned. It also covers pet CPR and bandaging.

Get your free copy