Local vets go extra mile for pets in need

10 March 2023

A dedicated team of vets from Leeds is set to swap their pet hospital scrubs for their walking boots next week when they take on the highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales.

The team of 10 who work at the Leeds PDSA Pet Hospital at Hepton Court will take on the eight-mile trek up Whernside mountain on Saturday, March 18 in a bid to raise vital funds for the pets in their care.  

James Funnell, Pet Hospital Leader at Leeds, said: “It’s been a few years since we’ve done anything like this because of the pandemic so we’re all ready and rearing to go.

“We all see first-hand how our service is a lifeline to so many pets and their owners in the local community which is why we all feel so passionately about fundraising – especially right now in the current economic climate.”

In 2022 it cost PDSA over £1 million to run its services at Leeds Pet Hospital where the team saw 8,300 pets and provided over 16,500 consultations – 12,000 of which were face-to-face.

“Not only will we be raising funds for the charity, but it’s good for the team to get out of the hospital environment to get fresh air and catch up with colleagues they might not get to speak to properly in between seeing clients,” James added. “We’re all looking forward to it!”  

Amy Wareing-Reid, Fundraising Manager at PDSA, said: “The team at Leeds PDSA Pet Hospital are a shining example to us all – going above and beyond their day-to-day roles to raise vital funds for the charity. We’re enormously grateful to them all!”

To donate to the team’s challenge page, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/pdsa-leeds-1675771783527

PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK. To keep families together this winter, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support more than ever to prevent vulnerable people having to make a truly heart-breaking decision. To find out more about PDSA’s vital work during the cost-of-living crisis, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/costoflovingcrisis.