WHY JUST BE KIND SUPPORTS THE PDSA CHARITY

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I described in my Blog post explaining the wisdom of Sir David Attenborough, how upon returning to the UK after many years stationed abroad, I returned to veterinary work at the PDSA charity. I was terrified to return to vet work after years gaining ‘life experience’ as a Mum and army wife, but equally, I was terrified to work with people I had never come into contact with before as I had only ever lived on army camps.

For the first time I would meet pensioners and people with mental and physical difficulties unable to work and that terrified me. But my fear turned to humility and a return to my love affair with the UK public and their pets as I realised how deeply intertwined the lives of our pets were, to the point of sometimes being the only reason for people to get up each day and keep going.

I remember the elderly man who cried pitifully to me to put him to sleep rather than his dying cat (he suffered with mental health issues and brought in his cat that was almost dead, but he could not cope with having her put to sleep and kept telling me how no one cared about him except his cat); the young homeless man who told me with gaunt eyes that his elderly Akita was his only reason for getting up each morning or he would have definitely taken an overdose, or the young single mother sharing with me how she had just recovered from cancer and it was her Staffy that was by her side every step of the way and kept her going – sharing this with you and typing these words is quite unashamedly making me cry as I remember these consultations and how much the PDSA changes the lives of people by caring for their pets.

Elderly lady and dog waiting to see vet at PDSA
Dr Arielle Griffiths handing over a cheque raised by a client who owned Labrador Paris at the PDSA in Leicester

I started my business Just Be Kind in January 2020. It has now become a full-time passion to promote plant-based feeding in the UK and for the first year, I no longer have the time to consult and dedicate to individual owners bringing their pets to the PDSA. How I loved working there, but it was also the hardest work I have done in my life – it proved both emotionally and physically draining but I would return home feeling that every minute of everyday that I had spent there had been well spent!

For this reason, I feel the only way I can continue to support such a worthwhile charity, is to keep supporting all the dedicated staff who work there through your purchases on this site. Their job has been made even harder with the current pandemic.

 

How else can we support the PDSA Charity?

There is such a simple way to support the PDSA without making any purchases on our site. When you use Amazon, choose to login as https://smile.amazon.co.uk and choose the PDSA as your chosen charity. This then means that with every purchase you make on Amazon, some of it will go to such a worthwhile charity – we have done this and we get feedback with the amount raised – it is so easy and can make such a difference.

Thank you

Dr Arielle Griffiths BVSc MRCVS