A DEVEOTED volunteer from Oldbury has been shortlisted in veterinary charity PDSA’s annual awards for his outstanding commitment.

Tom Aston volunteers two days a week at PDSA’s Pet Hospital, The Marian and Christina Ionescu Centre of Surgical Excellence, assisting clients in the waiting room and keeping the building and its surroundings tidy.

He is up against two other hopefuls from across the UK in the coveted Veterinary Volunteer of the Year 2015 category.

Spending most of his time in the reception area, Tom often reassures worried owners and lends an ear to upset clients.

Sue Hanke, PDSA client services manager, said: “Tom goes above and beyond, greeting clients as they arrive and helping them with any paperwork or queries they have.

"We’ve always been grateful for the two days a week Tom helps here, but with the recent move from Quinton, he was helping out an extra four days a week, packing and unpacking to make the move as smooth as possible, so our veterinary team could focus on treating the thousands of pets that rely on PDSA so much.”

Mr Aston said: “I feel very humbled to have been nominated for this award. I really enjoy being part of a great team and have been made to feel at home here.

"One of the best things about volunteering for PDSA is meeting the clients and their pets and seeing the difference the charity makes to their lives.”

PDSA, which provides free veterinary treatment to the sick and injured pets of people in need, has over 4,000 volunteers helping in its charity shops,

Pet Hospitals and fundraising groups across the country. Together these generous volunteers help save PDSA a staggering £12.7 million per year.

To join PDSA’s volunteering team phone 0800 854 194 or visit www.pdsa.org.uk/volunteers.

The PDSA Volunteer Awards are now in their thirteenth year and are supported by The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Pets at Home. The winners will be announced in the New Year.