Hip hip hooray, three cheers for the staff at Cardiff’s PDSA Pet Hospital as it celebrates its 10thbirthday.
The Pet Hospital on Nettlefold Road first opened in December 2013 – since then it has treated tens of thousands of pets.
One of 48 PDSA Pet Hospitals in the UK, the talented team provide a vital lifeline for local owners who are struggling to afford vet care and ultimately help keep people and pets together.
Student Veterinary Nurse Mike Connor said: “The whole team is absolutely delighted to be celebrating 10 wonderful years treating the pets of Cardiff from our site on Nettlefold Road.
“Working at PDSA is always interesting and rewarding – and it’s safe to say no two days are the same!
“We’ve had everything from a dogs swallowing things they shouldn’t to cats involved in road traffic accidents and much, much more, but our incredible team, who work day in day out to take care of pet patients and clients, are always here no matter what comes through the door.
“Here’s to the next 10 years!”
The dedicated team saw more than 10,900 pets in 2022 – that’s an average of 120 pets a day – with appointments ranging from major life-saving surgery and x-rays to treatment of long-term illnesses.
The charity first came to the city in 1948, when it opened a dispensary on City Road. Since then, the team has worked from a number of different premises across the city – including its former hospital on Bute Street, where they were based from 1978.
The idea of a veterinary service for the pets of those most in need first came to PDSA founder Maria Dickin when she visited some of London’s poorest communities over 100 years ago. She was shocked by the dire human poverty, but it was the sight of animals suffering in silence that she found unbearable.
The plight of these animals struck Maria again when her own beloved dog became seriously ill. She was lucky enough to be able to afford vet fees, but what about the pets of those who couldn’t?
After a long struggle for funding, Maria Dickin finally opened the doors to the first People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in 1917.
100 years later and PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK.
