People's Dispensary For Sick Animals (Sa), Cape Town

What the PDSA does and how we differ from other animal welfare service providers. The PDSA (SA) is a welfare veterinary health care service provider – much like a welfare hospital for people – with the differences being that our clients are animals whose owners cannot afford private veterinary healthcare and we do not receive any government subsidy. The PDSA does not engage in prosecution cases or in the re-homing of animals (as other animal welfare organizations do) rather, we focus our resources in the provision of the best welfare veterinary health care service possible for animals whose owners are from poorer communities. We strongly emphasize and insist on the sterilization of animals – to prevent unwanted litters and to improve the health of the adult animal – we sterilize animals on a daily basis in each of our hospitals and undertake spay campaigns in areas that are not serviced by welfare veterinary service organizations. The PDSA (SA)’s achievements include the fact that we treat at least 235 000 companion animals each year. Without our intervention these animals would not have received any veterinary treatment. We are dependent on our own fundraising activities and do not receive any government funding. To raise sufficient funding to cover all our veterinary costs it is necessary for the PDSA to engage in various fundraising activities.