The Blue Cross and PDSA
While acknowledging that ownership of pets should only be undertaken by those who can afford to look after them, it must be understood that family circumstances can change. A pet becomes a loved and treasured member of the family, forming special relationships with different people, or perhaps with just one person.
When a family falls on hard times, they will do their best to keep their pet. These days, there are food banks not only for people but for animals, too.
In 1897 a group of animal lovers formed ‘Our Dumb Friends League’ to care for working horses in London and encourage kindness to animals. It later became known, in 1958, as The Blue Cross.
In 1900 the society bought the first horse ambulance to carry injured horses to hospital. A year later, it lent sun hats to horses in hot weather to keep them cool. In 1906, the first Blue Cross hospital was opened in Victoria. It has never refused treatment to injured pets.
The Blue Cross Fund was instituted in 1912 to help animals during the Balkan War (1912-1913) It also helped animals in both World Wars (1914-1918, 1939-1945)The Blue Cross continues to care for sick and injured animals and to support their owners.
The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals of the Poor, now known simply as the PDSA, was founded in 1917, during the First World War, by Maria Dickin. When visiting the poor people in the East End of London, she was appalled by the poverty she saw, and the sick and injured pets whose owners could not afford to feed them or pay for treatment for their ailments. She set up a clinic in a basement in Whitechapel to provide free care for dogs and cats in need. The demand was so great that she soon required larger premises and eventually developed a taskforce of mobile vans to travel round the country, dispensing treatment, and medicines.
Today, the PDSA is known as the vet charity for pets in need. It works to keep people and their pets together, believing that poverty should not be an obstacle to owning and loving a pet. It also takes a role in educating children and the wider public about the care and welfare of animals. It has forty-eight veterinary hospitals across the country and those in need can apply to receive free or low-cost treatment for their sick or injured pets.
Maria Dickin spent her life campaigning for the dignified and humane treatment of animals. In 1943, she instituted the Dickin Medal, the animal Victoria Cross for animals who served the country during war.
It is wonderful to read this. It's good to know that there are such groups in the world. I wish we had those here. Unfortunately, the only help is the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and it's my understanding that animals have to be surrendered to the Society. I believe our evolution (or not) as a species can be judged on how we treat the animals with whom we share the planet ...
ReplyDeleteGandhi said: 'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.'
DeleteI don't believe such a thing exists here in Australia.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by that.
DeleteBlueCross Residential Aged Care Services in Australia care for elderly citizens in nice facilities.
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Cross Animals Society in Australia cares for cats and dogs, and rehomes them whenever possible.
Don't mix up those two organisations :)
Rehoming elderly citizens could be quite interesting!
DeleteWonderful work, thanks for the info. xx
ReplyDeleteThere are many good people in this world.
DeleteWe do love our pets and other animals here in UK. Good post.
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteThere are a great many people who love animals and do wonderful work to help care for them. Yet, sadly, there are also too many cruel and abusive people who use animals for entertainment or fighting and we still read reports of tge sufferinginflicted on them.
ReplyDeleteVEry true. Animal charities would have no reason for existence otherwise. The people who work for such organisations don't have much faith in their fellow humans.
DeleteHow wonderful that these organizations were started decades ago by people who understood the responsibility of having animals of any type. That they need their health taken care of and they need to be well fit. And in tough times for some people that is so difficult.
DeleteSuch people restore our faith in human nature.
DeleteWhat a fabulous organization. Veterinary care is so expensive and I've often wondered how many dogs and cats don't get the care they need because their owners just can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteToo often people simply abandon their pets. Others give them up to shelters. It's never easy and no-one can foretell the future.
DeleteWe have a lady in town who rescues cats and mostly kittens. She has them inoculated and fixed up and puts them up for adoption. People in the community help fund her through draws and donations. There is also the official humane society where we obtained our present cat.
ReplyDeleteWe have a number of small concerns like that in our area. They raise money as well as they can.
DeleteNotwithstanding such wonderful work by so many kind people over more than a century, in 2025, if you cannot afford the often huge bills that come with pets, don't take them on.
ReplyDeleteWe have animal care organisations that will take on animals who can no longer be cared for because of the cost, but people really need to be sensible when taking on a pet animal.
I agree, and the same could be said of those who fecklessly breed children and then rely on the state to provide for them. Then we get into the dangerous territory of eugenics.
DeleteThere are lots of resources here in America to help people if they fall on hard times and have pets; there are shelters that will house your pet, feed them, etc, until you can reclaim them.
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard decision to have to make, for sure.
DeleteWe have a Dickin Memorial Hospital for pets in my area of the United States and I wonder if it is linked to the UK charity in some way. Giving up a pet has to be such a hard decision.
ReplyDeleteI've just had a quick squizz and it's named after Maria Dickin. It's in Endicott?
Deletethank you for an uplifting story
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to celebrate something - anything! - at the moment.
DeleteI have not heard of anything like this here in USA.. it makes me happy that you have people there that offer help.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone is driven by greed for money, thank goodness.
DeleteTrying to keep people and pets together is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI think so.Pets can be very important in people's lives.
DeleteWhat a wonderfully uplifting read, and interesting to know the history of The Blue Cross, which I had no idea of. xxx
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Cross doesn't receive as much attention as the PDSA. I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteMaria Dickin deserves a medal of her own. I very much like your new header photo (taken by Barry?). I have two flower pots of cyclamineus daffodils that look just like yours by our front door.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for The Blue Cross and PDSA.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thanks for the background information on the PDSA. Most interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt would really be a struggle here in my part of the US. I imagine most people would do a fundraising thing online. There aren't many free vets or clinics.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad someone is looking out for the animals. There are so many heartbreaking stories about people having to give up pets because their landlords won't allow them or whatever. I couldn't do it. I'd move, but I realize not everyone has that luxury.
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