Chubby pets in Greater Manchester urged to take part in national slimming contest
Billy the Maltese Shih Tzu cross from Bolton is taking part in the pet fit club.
PDSA Vets is warning a couch-potato lifestyle and excessive food consumption is fuelling a four-legged obesity crisis.
To help tackle the problem, the charity is searching for the chubbiest cats, dogs and rabbits in Greater Manchester, as it launches its annual pet slimming contest: PDSA Pet Fit Club.
Now in its 13th year, the national competition – has helped 124 overweight and obese pets (79 dogs, 37 cats and 8 rabbits) lose an incredible 71 stone since its launch in 2005 - that's the equivalent of a grand piano or 160,000 doughnuts!
This year, Billy from Bolton is hoping to shed the pounds...
Billy, a Maltese Shih Tzu cross, loves cheese and piled on the pounds over a 12-month period, after learning his puppy dog eyes could land him extra treats, is set to go on a diet.
His owner Lee Piercey, from Bolton, said he was concerned by his beloved pet’s huge weight gain: “Billy was a rescue dog and I’ve had him about four years. When I’m out in the day he spends a lot of time with my parents. They love him so much, but give him too many treats.”
“He loves cheese and they also give him toast but it’s not doing him any favours.
“Billy is really important to me, but I know he’s got to lose some weight because being the size he is could really harm his health in the long run.”
As part of his new fitness regime, Billy is now being given dog food only and enjoying plenty of exercise, including playing with the neighbour’s cat in the garden. As he sheds the fat, his energy levels are improving and he seems much happier
PDSA vet Rebecca Ashman said: “Sadly the UK’s pet population is suffering from an obesity epidemic. Latest scientific literature shows that at least a third of dogs and a quarter of cats are clinically overweight or obese, but the true figures could be as high as 40%, making obesity one of the most common medical diseases seen by vets. It is a ticking time bomb that will have drastic consequences for our pets."