Group raises £1 million for Woodland Trust

Vets for Pets has reached a milestone of £1 million donated to a woodland conservation charity, four years after the launch of its Pet Memory Scheme.

More than 400 of the group’s practices donate annually to the Woodland Trust in honour of the pets they’ve cared for as part of the scheme, which launched in 2021.

The Woodland Trust works to protect, restore and establish woodland around the UK, and Vets for Pets’ fund-raising efforts thus far have helped the charity protect more than 8,000 acres of woodland – approximately equivalent to 5,000 football pitches.

The total puts Vet for Pets close to halfway to meeting its Better World Pledge goal of conserving more than 8,000 hectares of woodland by 2030.

‘Deep relationships’

Vets for Pets managing director Richard Dening-Smitherman said: “Our vet partners build deep relationships with the pets and families they care for.

“Donating in memory of those pets not only honours their lives but also contributes to something meaningful.

“Hitting the £1 million mark in just four years shows how valued this initiative is – by our practices and their clients.”

Woodland Trust chief executive Darren Moorcroft added: “We’re delighted to see our partnership with Vets for Pets thriving over the past four years.

“We’re grateful to work with a business that recognises the many benefits of healthy UK woodlands for climate, nature and people, supporting all aspects of our conservation work.”

‘Long-term commitment’

Less than 10% of the UK’s native woodlands are said to be in good ecological condition, and the country has slightly more than 13% tree cover compared with 39% across Europe.

Donations from Vets for Pets have helped the Woodland Trust plant 130,000 trees at Smithills Estate outside Bolton – the charity’s largest English site – to increase woodland cover there from 9% to 17%.

Smithills Estate site manager Oliver Stainthorpe said: “With long-term commitment and generous investment for nature from a partner like Vets for Pets, we can plan for the long-term and know we’re making a difference for generations to come.”