Register at our animal hospitals
Our teams treat pets whose owners receive benefits and live within our catchment areas.
Where to find our animal hospitals
We have four animal hospitals. One in Grimsby, and three in London; in Hammersmith, Merton and Victoria.
Check whether you’re eligible below.
Note
We currently have very limited capacity for neutering procedures. If you are registering to get your pet neutered, you may have a long wait. Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and live in one of our catchments areas before proceeding.
At our London animal hospitals
Due to high demand for our veterinary services we are currently unable to give booster vaccinations or restart vaccination courses for adult dogs and cats. Please look at local private vet clinics to have these done.
Our vet care is available to pets whose owners receive certain means tested benefits and live within the catchment area of one of our animal hospitals or pet care clinics.
Band A vet support
Band A vet support is available for anyone who lives within our catchment area and receives:
- universal credit where there has not been a reduction in payment due to work or other income such as savings
- income support
- jobseeker’s allowance (income-based)
- employment and support allowance (income-related)
- pension credit
Band B vet support
Band B vet support is available for anyone who lives within our catchment area and receives:
- universal credit where there has been a reduction in payment due to work or other income such as savings
- working tax credit
- child tax credit
- housing benefit with no other benefit
- council tax reduction with no other benefit (not the 25 per cent single person discount)
Registering at our animal hospitals
Fill in our registration form with your details. It usually takes about 10 minutes. You’ll be asked to provide proof of benefit.
Please contact our animal hospital before visiting.
What you’ll need
You’ll need to upload a scan, photo or screenshot of your benefit award letter or your latest universal credit account statement. The evidence you provide should clearly show:
- your name
- your address
- the type of benefit you receive
- be dated within the last month
If you live in one of our pet care clinic catchment areas, you may be able to register at one of our pet care clinics in Derby or York.
As well as registering for the first time, you can also renew your existing registration using the registration form.
We offer vet support to pet owners who live in our catchment areas and receive certain means-tested benefits. How much you pay will depend on the benefits you receive.
Your pet’s registration to our animal hospital gives them veterinary help from our team for 12 months.
There is no limit to the number of pets you can register, but you must complete a registration form for each pet. If you are eligible for Band A vet support, you will only receive Band A discounts for two pets. Any other pets registered will be registered for Band B vet support.
Find out more about Blue Cross vet support.
If you’ve lost your benefit letter, you can also provide a photo or screenshot of your universal credit account or bank statement displaying a DWP payment. If this is not possible, you can contact our team by email or on 0300 777 1988 for help.
We aim to process all registrations within five working days but it’s often sooner. If you have not heard from us within five working days, please contact us by replying to the confirmation email you receive.
No. Your registration will not be active until you receive confirmation by email that your application has been accepted. If your pet needs emergency treatment during this time, please call the nearest vet practice to your home as soon as possible. If this is a Blue Cross animal hospital, please call us.
On your first visit to our animal hospital you’ll need to bring photo ID. If you don’t have photo ID, you can bring a utility bill (gas, electricity or water) with your name and address on it.
Microchips
We require your pet’s microchip to be registered under your name and address. If these details do not match, we will be unable to perform any routine or non-urgent surgeries. You will need to change these details within two months, otherwise you will no longer be registered for our veterinary support. Speak to your vet about microchipping for more information.
Travelling to our animal hospitals
When you register at one of our hospitals remember that you (or the person looking after your pet) will usually have to bring your pet for emergency treatment.
If you know that you cannot do travel to our animal hospital, it may be in your pet’s best interests to register for veterinary treatment elsewhere so you can access emergency treatment if you need to.
