About us

“PetSavers funding was critical in allowing us to be the first to explore continuous glucose monitoring to help diabetic pets more than 15 years ago. This technology is now in widespread use.” – Professor Lucy Davison, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Genetics and MRC Clinician Scientist Fellow, RVC and University of Oxford

PetSavers provides the funding that researchers need to undertake vital research into the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in pets. Over the past 50 years, these research projects have led to some key breakthroughs in veterinary care.

But more than simply a funding pot, PetSavers is a supportive research community: our research alumni become mentors, student grants help the veterinary researchers of the future to build skills and experience, and our partners and donors support us through fundraising, donations, legacies and sponsorship.

Contemporary, ethical research is at the heart of everything we do: only studies involving naturally occurring diseases in small animals are considered, and we never fund research using experimental animals.

History

PetSavers has been funding exceptional veterinary research for over 50 years, with more than £2.7million in grants awarded to over 300 research projects since 1974.

Originally called the Clinical Studies Trust Fund, our first grant was awarded to David Bennet in 1975, for a study of immune-mediated joint diseases in dogs, which led to the first identification of a canine rheumatoid arthritis. Since then, our grants have supported veterinary researchers at every stage of their career to deliver research with real in-practice relevance for veterinary professionals.

Recognising our joint mission to improve the lives of companion animals, PetSavers became part of the BSAVA in 1994.