PDSA rolls into Chigwell this month offering free pet health checks and advice to local pet owners – from the charity’s brand-new PetWise Mobile Unit. The visit is part of its mission to help every pet live a happy, healthy life.
The state-of-the-art £250,000 PetWise Mobile Unit is on the road with PDSA’s PetWise Tour, following generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The new 18-tonne unit will be used to provide a variety of services, including vaccination clinics and free pet MOTs across the UK, along with PDSA’s two smaller vans in the fleet.
A team from Bow PDSA Pet Hospital will be on board the new unit carrying out vaccinations (by appointment) and dispensing flea and worm treatments for existing PDSA clients, as well as offering free pet wellbeing checks and pet health advice for the general public. They will be at Hainault Forest on Romford Road, IG7 4QN, on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October, from 10am to 4pm each day.
The vaccination clinics are available for PDSA clients only and MUST be booked in advance by calling 0208 980 5011. Pet MOTs are run on a drop-in basis and are open to all regardless of eligibility. Dogs should be kept on a secure collar and lead, and cats, rabbits and smaller pets should be transported in a secure pet carrier.
PDSA’s specially developed PetWise ‘MOT’ checks are based on a pet’s ‘5 Welfare Needs’ – the key ingredients to pet health and happiness. These are diet, environment, companionship, behaviour and health. A simple traffic light system gives each area a score and owners receive a personalised action plan explaining how to improve their pet’s wellbeing.
PDSA Community Vet Nurse Manager, Sue Bartlett, said: “People in Chigwell are very lucky as this is one of the first places in the UK to benefit from our new PetWise vehicle offering state-of-the-art facilities so we can help pets and their owners.
“We know people love their pets and want the best for them, which is why PDSA is here to help. Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we can offer free, friendly advice and support, helping owners to make small changes that often make big differences to the wellbeing of pets in Chigwell.”
Additional services including nail clipping and ear cleaning are available free of charge, while microchipping (which is now a legal requirement for all dogs) is available for a small fee. PDSA are looking to expand and perhaps offer health treats, depending on if they can find and partner with dog treat manufacturers. PDSA have been able to partner with Cats Protection and neutering vouchers for cats are available at all trucks.
