We have had a wonderful response to our winter appeal. Thank you to everyone that’s donated so far! Many people are thinking of a charity to donate to this Christmas so why not help a local child via our winter warmers appeal?
Please help us make sure every child has a warm coat this winter. A set of warm, dry clothes can be the difference between a child attending and engaging in school or staying away. Times are hard and families need your help more than ever.
There are a few ways you can help:
Buy one of our winter clothing bundles via our shopping partner Give Today. There are also smaller items that can be purchased. We will ensure every donation gets to a young person in need. Anything purchased will be sent directly to us. https://givetoday.co.uk/edinburghschooluniformbank/
Donate funds and we will purchase any items needed. £50 could provide a coat for a high school pupil and £30 could provide a coat for a primary school child. Every contribution, no matter the size, is appreciated. Donate here: https://edinburghuniform.org/donate/
You can of course buy an item or two of winter clothing and drop it off at one of our drop off points. More information on those can be found here: https://edinburghuniform.org/donate-uniform/ We are expecting many requests for coats and warm clothing in the coming weeks, we don’t want to turn anyone away. Please share in local groups and with friends and family
A puppy from Dundee is back home with his loving family in time for Christmas after needing emergency care at PDSA when he was badly bitten by a larger dog.
The leading vet charity – which treats 10 pets every minute – is sharing 11-month-old Boomi’s story ahead of Giving Tuesday (Tuesday 28 November) and appealing for donations to help them keep pets and people together this Christmas.
Boomi’s story
Crossbreed puppy, Boomi, and his owner, Tom, had nipped outside their home for a toilet break when things took an unexpected turn.
Tom, who has autism, explained: “A large dog saw us from about 15 metres away. He came bounding over with his lead trailing behind and began to jump at Boomi. I knew we were vulnerable, as the owner of the dog hadn’t noticed what was happening.
“The dog was really trying to get hold of Boomi and eventually managed to sink his teeth in. He began shaking Boomi around in the air. I was frantically holding onto Boomi to try to rescue him despite feeling panicked and scared for my own safety.
“Eventually, the owner managed to restrain his dog with the help of a passer-by. I don’t know what I would’ve done if somebody else hadn’t intervened. I immediately scooped Boomi, who was covered in blood and crying out in pain, up into my arms and ran straight to the car to get help.”
Boomi was initially seen at a private veterinary clinic, where he was assessed and received emergency care. The next morning, Boomi was transferred to Dundee PDSA Pet Hospital for ongoing treatment.
PDSA Vet Nurse, Paolo Panetta, said: “Boomi arrived with a large, deep wound on his leg and was admitted straight away. He was put on a drip and given pain relief, anti-sickness medication, and antibiotic injections.
“Once he was stabilised, we anaesthetised him to assess his wounds further. Thankfully, x-rays showed that there were no fractures, though his muscles had been severely traumatised. The large wound was stitched up but, due to the severity of the trauma, a small hole was left in the wound to allow any fluid to drain out. Boomi stayed overnight for ongoing care and pain relief.”
The next day, Boomi was recovering well, so he was able to return home to Tom with antibiotics, pain relief medication, and instructions for strict rest. He also needed to wear a recovery cone to protect the wound.
Tom continued: “I was just so relieved to have him back home with me. As well as his medication, I made sure he had lots of company, cuddles, reassurance, and of course his favourite food!”
Sadly, the trauma inflicted by dog bites can mean that wounds struggle to heal, and Boomi’s wound re-opened a few days later. He returned to Dundee PDSA Pet Hospital to have the wound re-stitched and was discharged the same day with more antibiotics and pain relief.
Over the next month, Boomi attended regular check-up appointments. Each time, PDSA’s vet team were delighted with his progress and eventually signed Boomi off from any further treatment.
Explaining the aftermath of the incident, Tom added: “I experienced severe panic and anxiety attacks, and I struggled to sleep properly as I kept having flashbacks. The horrific sounds coming from Boomi as he was injured are something I will never forget.
“Thankfully, Boomi is back to his happy self, and you wouldn’t know the ordeal he had been through if you saw him. His confidence seems untouched. He has dog friends at the park who are much bigger than him, so it doesn’t seem like the size of the dog who injured him has scarred him.”
Ever since the day Tom brought Boomi home, the two have formed an unbreakable bond: “Boomi’s a cuddly, attention-seeking cutie. He’s got those stereotypical puppy dog eyes that he puts on to get belly rubs and ear scratches. He’s growing into such a confident and social boy too, which is lovely to watch.”
Boomi’s treatment at PDSA cost £1,460.96.
PDSA cared for over 53,000 pets like Boomi last December. This Giving Tuesday (Tuesday 28 November), the charity is appealing for donations so it can help keep pets and people together this Christmas.
Every day across its 48 Pet Hospitals, PDSA protects the special bond between owners and their four-legged friends. The teams provide veterinary care to sick and injured pets whose owners otherwise couldn’t afford to pay the full cost of treatment. The charity has been keeping people and pets together for over a hundred years. Find out more: pdsa.org.uk/learn-why-were-special
You can help save pets like Boomi by supporting PDSA’s vital work keeping people and pets together this Giving Tuesday. Our dedicated vet teams see 10 pets every single minute, but we don’t receive any government funding, relying only on generous public support. Donate and save pets’ lives: pdsa.org.uk/together-this-winter
A cat from Nottingham, who transformed his owner’s life after she was diagnosed with cancer, has been saved by vet charity PDSA who removed a 10cm blade of grass from his nose.
Ginge, (6), was taken to Nottingham PDSA Pet Hospital after his owner Laura Mellors, (52), said he was struggling to breathe and sneezing blood.
“It was very scary,” she explained. “Ginge was having sneezing fits and coughing, and then all of a sudden he started bringing up blood. I didn’t know what to do.”
Laura, who was eligible for the charity’s services after having to give up work when she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, took him to her local PDSA Pet Hospital straightaway.
“PDSA were amazing,” she added. “The team sedated Ginge and pulled out a huge 10cm blade of grass, I couldn’t believe it.
“You couldn’t see anything stuck in his nose or in his mouth so it must have been pretty far back. After the vets got it out Ginge was back to his normal self almost instantly. I can’t thank them enough!”
Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer at the start of the pandemic and had to give up her job in Tesco.
Because of her Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), it meant she was eligible for the charity’s veterinary services.
“From my diagnosis, to the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis, it’s been a hard few years and I’m so thankful to PDSA for being there for Ginge and for me,” she shared.
Laura lives in Bestwood with her partner Sam, (62). She said Ginge is a big part of the family after ‘choosing her’ when he appeared in her garden as a stray cat.
“Ginge came into our lives around the same time I was diagnosed with cancer,” she explained.
“I feel like he chose us to be honest. He was a stray cat who used to come and sit in our garden. One day he came in through the back door, and then he never left. We tried to see if he was owned by anyone – we asked our neighbours, and took him to be scanned for a microchip but nothing came of it.
“We wouldn’t be without him for the world though – he’s an amazing cat! He’s slow and chilled out, he plods around the garden and sits in the sun.
“He’s always eating bits of grass and even though I tell him to stop, I didn’t think it would cause much harm. But I’ll definitely be a lot more mindful of this from now on.”
PDSA Vet Catherine Burke explained that this is common amongst cats and can be tricky to diagnose and treat. “When a cat gets a blade of grass lodged in the back of their nose or throat, it can be very uncomfortable and irritating for them, and could cause an infection,
“It can cause severe bouts of sneezing or coughing, and in some cases such as Ginge’s, the cat can start sneezing or coughing up blood which can be very distressing for both cat and owner.
“It can be really difficult to prevent this from happening, as cats will often wander where we can’t keep an eye on them. If your cat eats grass in your own garden, keep it cut short to reduce the risk of the longer grass blades getting stuck.
“Sneezing from time to time is nothing to worry about, but you should contact your vet if your cat can’t stop sneezing, sneezes blood or seems to be in pain.”
In times of hardship, pets like Ginge will still fall ill or become injured and need emergency care. PDSA is appealing for donations so that the charity can continue to support owners who have nowhere else to turn by providing life-saving care to vulnerable pets.
The devastating earthquake in Turkey has had a real impact at our club and particularly for our committee member Nazmi and defender Baris who both hail from the country
We will be collecting donations from the list below at our game on Saturday at Christie Gillies Park.
