--- title: "PDSA vs Blue Cross — animal charity comparison" description: "PDSA vs Blue Cross compared: veterinary treatment for sick and injured pets vs rehoming and animal welfare — Clarity Scores" source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/pdsa-vs-blue-cross retrieved: 2026-08-18T00:46:50.619Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- [TP](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-people-s-dispensary-for-sick-animals) [THE PEOPLE'S DISPENSARY FOR SICK ANIMALS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-people-s-dispensary-for-sick-animals) 86/100 4★ Reg. 208217 compared with [BC](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/blue-cross) [BLUE CROSS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/blue-cross) 87/100 4★ Reg. 224392 # PDSA vs Blue Cross — animal charity comparison **In short:** PDSA is built around veterinary treatment for sick and injured animals; Blue Cross around rehoming and welfare — closer to a model choice than RSPCA vs Battersea, and both checkable on filings. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026. PDSA vs Blue Cross is a common search when donors want to help pets and know both names. One is a veterinary-treatment charity. The other is a rehoming and welfare charity. That is a different split from inspectorate vs rehoming (RSPCA vs Battersea). Compare the model, then Clarity Score beacons. Information only. ## Key differences | What to compare | THE PEOPLE'S DISPENSARY FOR SICK ANIMALS | BLUE CROSS | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary model | Veterinary treatment for sick and injured pets | Rehoming, welfare and related animal care | | What donors often expect | Vet care for animals whose owners cannot afford treatment | Homes for dogs, cats and other pets | | Comparison type | Treatment-led | Rehoming-led | | Best if you want | A major veterinary-treatment charity | A major rehoming and welfare charity | ## What the latest filings show Figures from the most recent annual accounts on the Charity Commission register. Clarity scores use our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). | Metric | THE PEOPLE'S DISPENSARY FOR SICK ANIMALS | BLUE CROSS | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 86/100 (4★) | 87/100 (4★) | | Accountability & Finance | 100/100 | 100/100 | | Spend on charitable activities | 76% of expenditure | 72% of expenditure | | Fundraising efficiency | £4.2 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | £3.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | | Latest income | £129m | £51m | | Fundraising spend | 24% of expenditure | 28% of expenditure | | Reserves | 8 months | 14 months | | Accounts filing | On time | On time | | Data confidence | high | high | | Charity number | 208217 | 224392 | [THE PEOPLE'S DISPENSARY FOR SICK ANIMALS on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/208217) · [BLUE CROSS on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/224392) ## THE PEOPLE'S DISPENSARY FOR SICK ANIMALS may suit you if… - You want donations aimed at veterinary treatment - You already know PDSA hospitals or pet hospitals - You prefer treatment over rehoming as the primary model [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-people-s-dispensary-for-sick-animals) ## BLUE CROSS may suit you if… - You want donations aimed at rehoming and welfare - You already know Blue Cross centres - You are choosing among major pet-rehoming charities [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/blue-cross) ## Common questions ### PDSA vs Blue Cross — which should I donate to? They emphasise different work. Compare Clarity Scores and filings, then fund the model you intend. For inspectorate work see RSPCA vs Battersea; for dogs-and-cats rehoming see Dogs Trust vs Battersea. ### Are PDSA and Blue Cross both legitimate UK charities? Yes — both are long-established registered charities. Still verify the charity number on any unfamiliar appeal, because scammers borrow well-known names. 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. [Compare these charities side-by-side](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-people-s-dispensary-for-sick-animals,blue-cross) [Back to compare](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities)