Lewknor clinic opens

A new clinic has been opened at the animal adoption centre in Lewknor. It will allow the Blue Cross's charitable services to help the pets of local residents on lower incomes who struggle to afford private vets' fees.

The vet clinic will carry out crucial procedures such as microchipping and vaccinations plus treat minor ailments where possible. More serious or complicated cases will be referred to a local vet practice where treatment will be subsidised by The Blue Cross.

Julie Stone, Blue Cross centre manager at Lewknor said: "This new initiative will be a vital service for local pets needing treatment or vaccinations. Microchipping will also be offered which is essential for lost animals to be quickly re-united with their owners. We hope this service proves to be a lifeline for pets who might otherwise have been denied expensive vet treatment."

The veterinary sessions will be held at the Blue Cross animal adoption centre on London Road from 10.00-12.00 every Thursday. Appointments are available to all residents on a low income who live in post code areas OX49, OX39, OX9 and OX10. To make an appointment, pet owners should contact the centre on 01844 355293.

The launch of the Lewknor clinic is part of a national scheme for The Blue Cross, aiming to help more pets nationwide to receive the treatment they need. Clinics already exist in Bromsgrove and Felixstowe, and with more planned for Tiverton and Southampton by the end of the year.

The clinics join the four Blue Cross animal hospitals situated in London and Grimsby, including the charity's flagship Victoria hospital which was the first of its kind to open in 1906.

April 2007