A West Lothian vets clinic has been pulling out the stops to help the animals and pets affected by the devastating invasion of Ukraine, receiving donations from around the world.
Westport Veterinary Clinic in Linlithgow started an urgent appeal last week asking for pet food and bedding - and the public response has been absolutely incredible.
Clients from all three of practices as well as the general public have gone above and beyond, with aid donations for this appeal arriving at Westport Vets Linlithgow and South Queensferry practices in overwhelming volume.
Donations were received from around the country, some being delivered from members of the public who saw the appeal online and drove for hours just to bring aid items to the practices.
Others were commenting to rally round local areas to help collect items from locals without transport and other local businesses also offering their help.
A spokesperson for the practice said: “We set up money donations after many contacted us who wanted to help but lived too far away to get the items in time for the 5pm deadline on Tuesday, March 1, when the transport was organised.
“We received nearly £2000 in money donations literally from around the world. From local residents, members of the public around the UK to as far as New Zealand from At The Vets, a Veterinary clinic in Christchurch.
“We started taking the donations to the transportation drop-off on Tuesday afternoon by the van full and the team continued moving items in the Westport van, pet ambulances and in staff cars till nearly 10pm.
“The charity Pets in Need in Falkirk are taking the donations in and moving onto transport to Polish Border to get them to the pets in need.
”They have done an incredible job and have not stopped helping unload items and assisting everyone making their donations.
"They have been filling an empty shop unit next their own shop in Falkirk which is literally stacked to the ceiling with aid.
"An extremely physically demanding task and a very emotional one they told us as they have been speaking to the public making donations, many who have family stuck in Ukraine.
“They say they have been truly overwhelmed with the sheer volume of kindness shown by the public and how hard their team has worked together to ensure everything is taken to transportation as quickly as they can.
“There was such a high response to Westport Vets appeal for pet food and bedding that the money donated has been used to provide medical supplies as per the charity’s requirement for these items, including a large selection of pet medications and bandaging materials which are suitable for both pets and humans.
“We are unable to put an exact value on the items donated to us as we received so much of it in such a short time. The value of items is well into the thousands and over 800kg of pet food was delivered to our practices.
“We would like to express our heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped us with this appeal, for their magnitude of donations, for helping to share our appeal online and for the volume of messages offering and showing their support throughout. Also a special thank you to our clinical nurse manager, Fiona Leathers, at South Queensferry for arranging the transportation of donations with Pets in Need.
“The kindness shown by our amazing clients and by members of the public in such difficult times is truly overwhelming, all coming together to help those who are suffering in Ukraine. Human kindness truly shines in troubled times.”
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