I am on yet another challenge!! And this one is the biggest and most daunting of them all!

I have always wanted to do the London Marathon, not really thinking of what it entailed and thought I had no chance of getting a place, so I was very shocked to receive a letter saying I did have a place! Thoughts swiftly went to on the actual challenge I am facing - this is going to be a big mountain to climb.

I would like to tell you a bit about the charity I am running for. Most of you will know that I work as a Veterinary Nurse and I strongly believe that animals play a massive role in our lives, be it giving friend and companionship, fun and activity, helping rehabilitation to humans, hope, or a link to a member of the family who are no longer with them. I have personally seen how animals can turn people's lives around and it is truly amazing.

Veterinary Science is constantly evolving and new and exciting developments are happening all the time. With this, money must play a part. As there is no NHS for animals, many people can not afford treatment for their pet so the only options they face can sadly be re-homing or even euthanasia. When the injury or disease is very treatable this is an awful situation to be in and heart breaking for everyone involved.

This is where the PDSA come in. 

Around the UK there are 43 PDSA PetAid hospitals and 4 PDSA PetAid branches that provide a range of medical and surgical veterinary services for sick and injured pets. These are staffed by highly qualified and experienced veterinary surgeons and nurses.

Treatment to the sick and injured pets of eligible clients is completely free of charge. But because PDSA's veterinary services are funded entirely by public support, all owners are encouraged to make a contribution towards the cost of their pet's treatment, in order to enable PDSA to continue its valuable service.

Despite the tremendous public support PDSA receives, it simply does not have the funds to treat all sick and injured animals. Therefore, PDSA's precious resources are concentrated on those animals whose owners are the most in need in the community.

All pets that come into the practice where I work are members of a family, with people often reacting worse to their pet passing on than to a human member of the family. They can give you so much love and respect that often humans cannot and make you feel like you are the best person in the world. Many people are desperate to do all they can for their pet but in many situations, money is the brick wall they face. This should not be the case. PDSA is doing wonderful work, and are keeping many owners and their animals together.

I would really appreciate any money you can donate to myself on behalf of this charity. This charity is very close to my heart and I will do my very best to complete the challenge. Hopefully my stubborn and competitive nature will play a part in keeping me going!!

Thank you again.

Hannah :)