(Updated 13/7/01)

The Lord Mayor of Westminster & TV dog help animals in need

Canine television star Pippin put his best paw forward recently when he helped the new Lord Mayor of Westminster receive a cheque for £167,000 to rebuild Britain’s oldest animal hospital - the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, London.

The new Lord Mayor of Westminster Councillor Harvey Marshall, who is this year helping to support the Blue Cross, received the cheque on behalf of the animal welfare charity at a cheque presentation by Littlewoods Lotteries on Tuesday 3 July outside the Blue Cross animal hospital.

The £167,000 - a percentage of the sale of Littlewoods scratchcards - will go towards equipping the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria. Believed to be the oldest animal hospital in the world, it was open throughout both world wars, looking after pets injured during the bombings and taking care of the pets of soldiers at war.

Pippin, who stars in the BBC children’s series ‘Come Outside’ and is the current star of the Baker’s dog food commercials, also showed his loyalty to the Blue Cross by turning up for the cheque presentation. He attended the Blue Cross street party last year to launch the multi-million pound appeal to raise money to rebuild the hospital.
The hospital is costing £4.4 million to rebuild and equip and will provide free veterinary care to over 26,000 animals each year, belonging to those on low incomes, including elderly and disabled people.

Newly appointed chief executive of the Blue Cross John Rutter, said: “The Blue Cross is delighted at the generous support of Littlewoods. But the winners here are the animals.

This money comes as a much-needed boost to our drive to equip the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria.

“Once the hospital reopens in autumn the Blue Cross can continue to provide a veterinary service to the pets of Londoners, as it has been doing for almost a century.”

At over 100 years old the Blue Cross rehomes unwanted and rescued animals and provides veterinary care for the pets of people who cannot afford private vets’ fees.