PDSA Top of the OPS

(taken from PDSA website featuring Darcy)

PDSA's 'Top of the Ops'Charity’s vets reflect on another amazing year of pet operations and dramatic cases

The puppy that fell off a cliff; the shot cat; the dog that ate Homer Simpson: it’s all in a day’s work for vets at pet charity, PDSA. Now they have rounded up some of the most amazing and eye-watering cases in an end-of-year ‘Top of the Ops’ compilation.

PDSA, the charity that cares for the pets of people in need, has broken its own record for pet operations this year, completing over 100,000*, a 5% increase on last year. Its varied surgical casebook includes emergency operations to remove clothes, balls and toys from pets’ stomachs, repairing broken limbs, together with neutering operations, tumour removal and skin grafts plus other procedures such as fitting full body casts to injured pets – to name but a few.

“We see all manner of pet patients every day,” says PDSA Senior Vet Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury. “It’s incredible how some pets survive the ordeals they have been through. It’s testament to their own fighting spirit and the great work of our vet teams.

“That’s why PDSA is so important to the millions of loving pet owners, who rely our charitable services.”

To celebrate the work of the charity’s highly skilled staff, PDSA is highlighting the ten most memorable cases from the last 12 months. Counting down from 10, here’s PDSA’s ‘Top of the Ops’ list:

1. In at number one is the dramatic story of Patterdale terrier puppy, Darcy, from Sunderland, who defied death after plunging 45ft off a cliff, leaving her with broken bones in three of her legs. PDSA staff spent hours operating on her broken bones to help the unlucky pooch walk again. She’s now back on all fours and living life to the full.

This Christmas PDSA has launched a £600,000 emergency appeal to help it provide vital care for the record-breaking numbers of poorly pets it is seeing. Annually, the delivery of PDSA services costs around £50 million. PDSA relies entirely on charitable donations and voluntary contributions, as it receives no Government or lottery funding for its PetAid services.

For further information about PDSA PetAid services or for details of how you can make a donation please call 0800 731 2502 0800 731 2502 or visit www.pdsa.org.uk/xmas.