Animal Magic

Report by Laura Houghton and Jennifer Hunter

On Thursday, the 9th November, four of the Huyton Today newsteam visited the new branch of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (the PDSA) in Page Moss, Huyton. There we met the Senior Veterinary Officer, Christina Symonds, to find out who works there and a little bit about what they do.

The Page Moss centre has four full time vets working there, one of whom is the Senior Vet. Four trainee nurses are overseen by the head nurse; along with two auxiliary nurses, three night emergency nurses and four receptionists. The centre deals with around 300 animals a week which explains why so many staff are required.

As the PDSA is a charity, nobody is asked to pay for the treatment their pet receives, but they are asked for a donation towards the price of the treatment. The average cost of treatment is about £14 and the average donation is just £1.48. This is why the PDSA so desperately needs help from the general public.

Christina told us that the most common animals they treat at the centre are cats and dogs but she has, in the past, been called upon to treat an iguana with a fractured leg! Not all the patients are grateful to be treated - dog bites are not uncommon for vets.

Above: Christina Symonds (centre) with PDSA nurses Sharon Murtagh (left) and Nancy Billing (right)

 

PDSA FACTFILE

In 1998 the PDSA... provided nearly 1.4 million veterinary treatments to sick and injured pets of eligible owners who cannot afford private veterinary fees. treated some 4,800 pets every working day. operated 44 veterinary centres countrywide. PetAid Service was available in some 74 smaller communities operated by participating private veterinary practices. spent some £22.2m in total, providing its charitable veterinary services. employed over 210 fully qualified veterinary surgeons and 290 veterinary nurses. opened a brand-new purpose-built animal hospital in Sheffield to replace outdated premises no longer able to meet the demands of rising patient numbers. received an average donation of £1.27 for each treatment provided at one of its hospitals. averaged out the cost of providing a course of medical treatment at £67.15, although the actual cost of many treatments is far in excess of this figure. operated some 135 charity shops nationwide, with a further 16 planned to open.

See also:
New PDSA Animal Hospital opens its doors
Former Everton footballer Joe Parkinson opens new centre; Coronation Street star Sue Nicholls burys a time capsule.