The pet hospital in Gillingham has been closed down this morning as it undergoes maintenance work and people are being turned away unless they have an emergency case.

The PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity, runs the facility in Gillingham Business Park.

Animal lovers panicked as a voicemail message at the PDSA facility alerted them that the pet hospital had been closed due to an emergency.

However, it has now been discovered that a member of staff at the surgery had simply put on the wrong answerphone

According to a spokesman, the reason for its closure is just routine maintenance that is being undertaken today.

The voicemail message has since been changed and now says the pet aid hospital is currently closed and is offering an emergency service only this is because staff are undergoing training but animal owners may cancel appointments or order repeat prescriptions.

The spokesman for the PDSA said: “The Gillingham Pet Hospital is open today, but only for emergencies.

“This is due to some maintenance work that’s taking place. The hospital phone lines are open as usual so if anyone is concerned about their pet, they can still seek advice that way. And as mentioned, the hospital is still open for emergency cases.”

“The PDSA would like to assure that normal service will resume tomorrow and that pet owners can take their animals straight to the pet hospital where vets will be on hand”