PET wellbeing charity, the PDSA, is celebrating a centenary of caring for poorly animals.

On November 17,1917, the charity’s founder, Maria Dickin, first set up a dispensary for sick animals of the poor in London’s East End.

Over the following years its work spread in response to public demand and PDSA now operates 48 hospitals across the UK- including the busy Basildon Pet Hospital based in High Road, Vange.

The cause is also supported by a national chain of 130 shops and a dedicated army of volunteers.

The first mention of a PDSA site in South Essex was in the ‘1928 Annual Review,’ which listed a PDSA Medical Centre at 30/32 Broadway in Southend.

Some time between 1932 and 1937 the medical centre moved to Southchurch Road, then in 1948 it moved again to York Road, Southend. Two mobile units also served the Essex area. One of them, serving Leigh, can be seen in our nostalgic photo gallery.

When the Second World War broke out the charity was more in demand than ever. An article from a 1940 edition of the Southend and County Pictorial newspaper offers a glimpse into just how busy the Southend PDSA was becoming: “The welfare of animals may seem to be of little importance compared to the safety of human life, but to many people it is a question that causes great anxiety.

“Since the outbreak of the war the local People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals has been as busy as ever and the Technical Officer has dealt with hundred of enquiries about war time diet and the protection of pets in an air raid.”

By 1951 the Southend site was treating 11,325 animals a year. In 1989 the Southend site was enlarged and modernised, but continuing high demand for PDSA’s services in the area prompted the charity to source new sites in Essex.

In 2002 building began on a brand new purpose-built pet hospital in Vange. The two-storey state-of-the-art building features six consulting rooms, two operating theatres, X-ray facilities, a spacious waiting room, dispensary and separate kennels for dogs and cats. It was named the Coco Markus Centre, following a generous donation of £750,000 from the estate of benefactor, the late Mrs Coco Markus.

The Basildon PDSA pet hospital was opened in June 2003 by HRH Princess Alexandra and continues to be the primary PDSA site in Essex today. Earlier this year the York Road site in Southend was closed and all PDSA resources consolidated at the site in Vange.

Gareth Dowdeswell, Senior vet at Basildon PDSA Pet Hospital, said: “The story of PDSA is a truly remarkable journey from such humble beginnings during World War I.

“What emerged from one woman’s attempts to alleviate animal suffering has blossomed into the UK’s leading vet charity.

“Over the last century we have provided an astonishing 100 million treatments to 20 million beloved pets. Today we look after pets across the country and play a lead role in pet wellbeing.

You can read more about the PDSA’s history by visiting www.pdsa.org.uk