At the time of her death in 1951, at the age of 81, Maria Dickin had received both the OBE and the CBE in recognition of her work. She was a strenuous organiser and her legacy to her charity was her determination, enthusiasm and pioneering spirit; qualities that continue to bolster PDSA long after her death.
Maria Dickin devoted her life to raising the status of animals in society and worked tirelessly to eradicate animal suffering. Not having the skill to treat animals herself she did the next best thing and created PDSA. Her reward was the sight of animals no longer in pain and the thanks of grateful owners. In her writing for children she revealed her vision of the future:
'Today we are all thinking about what each of us can do towards making the world a better place for every man, woman and child to live in. We must not forget to include the animals in our programme, they too must have a better world to live in.'
Thankfully the charity Maria Dickin built has gone from strength to strength and continues to ensure that the sick and injured pets of those unable to afford private veterinary fees still have somewhere to go to for help and free treatment, PDSA - for pets in need of vets.
