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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Nicola Davis

INSANE: Animal ambulances answer growing demand for pet emergency care | Vintage Vibes

Verity Hope, an Animals at Home franchisee, with Polly the westie in Tamworth
Verity Hope, an Animals at Home franchisee, with Polly the westie in Tamworth. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/the Guardian

The day did not begin as expected for Verity Hope. She had been due to spend a wet November morning making a trip to a vet with a reactive dog, but the client phoned in sick. Then another job cropped up: taking a dead rabbit to a pet crematorium.

It may seem an eclectic set of requests, but for Verity and her animal ambulance it is the norm. Since the start of the pandemic, 4.7m households have acquired a new pet. Changes in work patterns and everyday pressures mean many need support.

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