Katy Manning and John Leeson at Charity Event in Coventry

John Leeson and Katy Manning are to appear at a charity event this Thursday in Coventry.

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA is holding a Doctor Who-themed open day later this week at the Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital. The open day will give local families, animal lovers and budding vets the chance to go behind the scenes of the busy Pet Hospital to see where life-saving pet operations are carried out.

John Leeson, who has been the main voice of the Robot Dog K-9 since his first appearance in Doctor Who in 1977, will be attending along with actress Katy Manning, who played companion Jo Grant alongside the third doctor.

The stars will be joined by a host of baddies and props from the hit sci-fi series, including a TARDIS, Dalek, Cyberman, and K9 himself, who will, of course, be given a free doggy MOT. The free family event is being held at the Pet Hospital on Barkers Butts Lane on Thursday 23 August 11am to 4pm.

Senior Vet at Coventry PDSA, Kurt Vandamme, said The event will raise funds for Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital, which costs around £850,000 annually to run and doesn’t receive any government funding. The special appearances have been arranged by Fantom Events who have donated their services to PDSA free of charge, as well as making a generous donation to Coventry PDSA.

Kurt added Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital treats sick and injured pets in need, providing a vital lifeline for local owners who are struggling to afford vet care for their beloved pets. The dedicated team can see as many as 130 pets a day and perform nearly 50,000 treatments a year, ranging from major life-saving surgery and x-rays, to routine vaccinations and treatment of long-term illnesses.

Nationally PDSA runs 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, and treats more than 5,000 pets a day – that’s 13 pets a minute! For more information visit the website.

Please note Katy Manning and John Leeson will be signing promotional cards only with every donation.