PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report marks ten-year milestone

23 January 2020

Vet professionals urged to have their say on pet wellbeing

This year the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report – the largest, most comprehensive insight into pet wellbeing in the UK – will reach its ten year anniversary.

To help mark the landmark year we are inviting the veterinary profession to have their say on the state of our pet nation by taking the online survey at https://www.yougov.co.uk/pdsa Vets, vet nurses and students have until 31 January to share their views on the issues affecting the health and welfare of UK pets today.

All entrants will have the chance to win an all-inclusive annual membership to The Webinar Vet.

Vicki Betton, PDSA Policy and Campaigns Manager, said: “For the last nine years, the PAW Report has provided valuable insight into the reality of pet wellbeing in the UK.

“We’re excited to be celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the PAW Report in 2020, marking a decade of measuring key insights into the welfare of our nation’s pets. The Report helps us deliver a robust evidence-base for our education programmes, campaigns and collaborative work, and enables us to track the impact of initiatives on the pet wellbeing issues which are of most concern to the veterinary profession. It also provides an excellent opportunity for everyone to voice their opinions and have their say.

“In 2019, our findings revealed a record decline in the number of pets receiving primary vaccinations when young, which may mean that millions of companion animals are left unprotected and exposed to potentially fatal diseases.

“In response to these troubling findings, we ran a vaccination campaign across our Pet Hospitals and social media channels which significantly improved uptake of vaccinations. Our key trends and insights will continue to inform our vital campaigns, to improve the health of pets across the country.”

Other recent findings showed that awareness of how best to care for our cats, dogs and rabbits is still poor in many key areas. And while some improvements have been identified after collaborative campaigns, such as the annual Rabbit Awareness Week, there are still many issues which need to be addressed, and this survey provides a unique opportunity to feedback on these from the frontline of veterinary practice.

The PAW Report is an annual, nationwide survey that assesses the state of our pet nation. Produced in conjunction with YouGov, over 73,000 pet owners, veterinary professionals and children have shared their thoughts on a range of issues facing UK pets since its launch in 2010.

Vicki added: “It takes less than 15 minutes, so please help us maintain an accurate picture of the biggest welfare issues facing pets in the UK today.”

For your chance to win an annual membership to The Webinar Vet, take the survey at https://www.yougov.co.uk/pdsa The survey closes on 31 January.