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End of PDSA Veterinary services.
Hugandkiss
Forumite 1 Post
I have received today a letter and leaflet from the PDSA stating that they can no longer afford to fund veterinary services for people who are in receipt of state benefit. The previous scheme is to run until the end of the six month certificate previously awarded to each client to be presented at their vets and a contribution made to the cost. In place, via the leaflet, there is now a £4.50 charge each month and if I understand this correctly gives you access to one vet consultation per 12 month plus one booster also. There is then 20% off FULL price vet treatment and 15 % off PDSA Vet Insurance. Whilst I understand their plight, I can't help thinking that people like myself who have to carefully budget, would be able to consider how much a price that treatment may be, even to find out is going to cost the price of a consultation. We, who only company and joy is a valued pet will now have to keep our fingers crossed and keep back the money to have our pet put down humanely if they get ill. The price of having to do that I know in monetary terms and that of heartache.
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It will be that they can no longer afford to give this away.
The £4.50 a month is a good deal. I have something similar with Pets at home, but it’s £10.00 a month for a cat. I have insurance with them too (or rather petplan), it’s about £23.00 - worth looking into the PDSA one.
I can see it being tough having budgeted for a dog with the PDSA treatment available, and I hope you and others can find long-term solutions to afford the dogs, but do think its ultimately the owners responsibility to find funds for treating their pets, not the charity. After all, there's not a tax we've been paying to fund an "NHS for pets".
This article may be worth looking into for alternatives though - https://www.money.co.uk/pet-insurance/how-to-get-help-with-vet-bills.htm
Marriage breakup, redundancy, ill health - even death.
Of course there are genuine cases and that what has kept people donating to the charities for so many years but there are a lot more people who are already in financial difficulties and choose to go out and get a pet or pets and then expect others to pick up the tab. There has been an increase lately of people starting gofundme fundraisers to pay for vetinary treatment and when you read into the story behind it they are the ones who took on a pet, no insurance and no way of self insuring and then wanting others to help.
The abuse by the few spoils it for those who really need it
They are a charity though, and if they can't afford to keep providing the service, then there's not a lot they can do about it.
One pet per client can still be treated at a PDSA hospital if you live in the catchment area for one and are eligible for treatment.
That explains a lot.
I was thinking what is the point of them then?
Now I understand.
If people have health conditions or mobility issues or poverty - are these the best environments for a pet to be in??? Flip it the other way - children would get support from authorities in those households, whereas it doesn't exist to help pets. Personally, this could be tantamount to abuse by putting a pet in an unsuitable household; why aren't their needs being factored in here? Humans domesticated these animals, its now up to us to care for them appropriately.