Budding young writer wins PDSA writing competition

A budding young writer has won a PDSA writing competition and met best-selling children’s author, Anna Wilson at Bristol PDSA PetAid hospital for a behind the scenes VIP tour.  Millie Rule, aged 8, also got the chance of a lifetime – to name a canine character in Anna’s next book.

 

Pet lover Millie, from Brightlingsea in Essex, entered the PDSA Writing Competition with Anna Wilson by completing a story, for which Anna provided the first few lines. The tale started with a poorly pooch who had gone off her food and Millie, who named the dog Queeny, wrote about how her owners discovered she was pregnant and then had to find loving homes for each of her puppies. In honour of this year’s Diamond Jubilee, lucky winner Millie named the puppies Will, Kate, Charlie, Zara and Harry.

 

Millie, who wants to be a vet when she grows up, joined Anna for an exclusive VIP tour of Bristol PDSA, giving them a rare opportunity to see the work of the dedicated team, who can see as many as 150 pets in a single day first hand.. They were shown around the hospital by Senior Vet Linda Day, met some of the pet patients, and even observed an operation.

 

Millie also revealed the name she had chosen for the characters in Anna’s new book, The Smug Pug, due out in February 2013 (Macmillan Children’s Books). She decided to name the character Jasper, after a family member’s pet dog.

 

Millie said: “I’ve really enjoyed my tour of PDSA Bristol. I want to be a vet and a writer when I grow up, so I was really excited about meeting Anna and the vets, and to meet all the pets. I even watched part of an operation as I’m not really bothered by blood, but my favourite part was meeting Jack the cat, he was so friendly!”

 

Anna said: “It’s been wonderful to support PDSA’s writing competition – I love animals and I love to encourage children to read and write, so it’s the perfect combination. It was great to meet Millie, and I also enjoyed seeing behind the scenes at Bristol PetAid hospital and meeting the vets. I learned a lot myself, as well as asking a lot of questions – some of those facts may well turn up in my future books!”

 

This is the first year that animal loving Anna, who has captured the capers of cats and dogs in nine titles so far, has supported PDSA’s writing competition, which is open to budding authors under 18 years old.  It is run as part of PDSA’s Pet Protectors Club, aimed at helping young people to learn how to properly care for pets.

 

For more information on PDSA Pet Protectors: www.pdsa.org.uk/petprotectors

 

For more on Anna Wilson’s books: www.annawilson.co.uk