Did you know?

Fast facts about PDSA
and our Founder Maria Dickin

~ ~ ~

Before PDSA, Maria Dickin had her own voice production studio in London.

~ ~ ~
Maria Dickin was a very religious woman and believed in spiritualism.

~ ~ ~
Our first provincial dispensary was in Exeter.

~ ~ ~
PDSA’s first overseas branch opened in Tangier in 1923.

​

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Our first Superintendent was Mr J. R. Hartshorne. On Tuesday and Friday evenings in his free time he would carry out surgery for us, assisted by a Mrs Cook, where he treated up to fifty pets per week.

~ ~ ~
By 1922 we were treating 800 animals a day.

~ ~ ~
In the early days, Maria Dickin saw an elderly lady place an item in the donation box and realised it wasn’t a coin but her wedding ring as she had no other means of giving a donation. Mrs Dickin took the ring back to the woman and placed a donation in the box herself.

~ ~ ~
It was an old custom of ours to give a card and sweets to children at Christmas when they brought an animal for treatment.

~ ~ ~
Before Maria Dickin founded PDSA she offered donations to two existing animal charities asking them to provide free veterinary care. When her offers were rejected she founded PDSA.

~ ~ ~
PDSA rallied to help animals in times of need. We rescued animals during WWII that were caught up in the blitz, provided food for sheep stranded during exceptionally severe snow storms in 1946 and providing emergency help for flood victims at Canvey Island in 1953.

~ ~ ~
Maria Dickin’s hobbies included gardening and encouraging children to look after their pets as best they could (although she didn’t have children herself).

​

Maria Dickin

The first cellar Maria Dickin opened was lent to us by the Rev. Lionel Lewis. When we outgrew the premises we moved to 7 Harford Street, Mile End Road, Whitechapel, where the work really began.

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Maria Dickin died 1 March 1952 and is buried with her husband Arnold at St Marylebone Cemetery, 122 East End Road, East Finchley, London N2 0RZ in Plot D13, grave 136 (East Avenue).

 

14

Fast facts about PDSA
and our Founder Maria Dickin

~ ~ ~

Before PDSA, Maria Dickin had her own voice production studio in London.

~ ~ ~
Maria Dickin was a very religious woman and believed in spiritualism.

~ ~ ~
Our first provincial dispensary was in Exeter.

~ ~ ~
PDSA’s first overseas branch opened in Tangier in 1923.

~ ~ ~
Our first Superintendent was Mr J. R. Hartshorne. On Tuesday and Friday evenings in his free time he would carry out surgery for us, assisted by a Mrs Cook, where he treated up to fifty pets per week.

~ ~ ~
By 1922 we were treating 800 animals a day.

~ ~ ~
In the early days, Maria Dickin saw an elderly lady place an item in the donation box and realised it wasn’t a coin but her wedding ring as she had no other means of giving a donation. Mrs Dickin took the ring back to the woman and placed a donation in the box herself.

~ ~ ~
It was an old custom of ours to give a card and sweets to children at Christmas when they brought an animal for treatment.

~ ~ ~
Before Maria Dickin founded PDSA she offered donations to two existing animal charities asking them to provide free veterinary care. When her offers were rejected she founded PDSA.

~ ~ ~
PDSA rallied to help animals in times of need. We rescued animals during WWII that were caught up in the blitz, provided food for sheep stranded during exceptionally severe snow storms in 1946 and providing emergency help for flood victims at Canvey Island in 1953.

~ ~ ~
Maria Dickin’s hobbies included gardening and encouraging children to look after their pets as best they could (although she didn’t have children herself).