ANIMAL charity the PDSA says it has lost the equivalent of £800,000 as donations to its shops have dropped in the recession.
But as pet owners find themselves short of cash the organisation has seen a 10% increase in people turning to them to treat their animals illnesses for free.
Huddersfield PDSA is based in Greenhead Road and spends £1.1m a year running its services.
Nationally, the biggest drop in donations has been seen in the north of Scotland and the Midlands where PDSA shops are receiving 9% less stock.
The charity is now issuing a plea for the public to dig out their unwanted items to help them stock their shops.
Andrew Holl, PDSA director of business services says: “The current stock crisis of up to 9% drop in donations coming at a time when we have a 10% increase in demand puts PDSA vets under immense pressure. PDSA benefits from a loyal supporter base but we are now being hit, in some areas, especially hard.
“As the next bank holiday approaches giving people time to clear their homes and gardens, we urge consumers to give us the items they no longer want or need.”
The PDSA opened in Huddersfield 61 years ago and has grown to carrying out 65,000 treatments a year, from life-saving operations to routine vaccinations. The charity has 179 UK shops, including one at Commercial Street in Brighouse.
