New research shows half of people fear they won’t be able to afford to keep their dog or cat
Millions of pets could be just one vet bill away from being surrendered or facing the need to find a new home, new research suggests. National pet charity Blue Cross is currently managing an ‘unprecedented rise’ in dogs and cats needing its help.
Blue Cross has seen a 122% increase in dogs and an 80% rise in cats arriving at one of its 11 UK rehoming centres. And with food, welfare and vet bills continuing to climb, rehoming teams fear even worse days lie ahead.
With more than half of all UK households owning a pet, the research suggests millions of owners are one vet bill away from potentially giving up their companion. An unexpected vet bill of £600 would be unaffordable for one in five owners, rising to nearly half if treatment costs reached £3,500.
Pets in Glasgow are the closest to be made homeless, according to the Blue Cross research. Six in 10 owners in Glasgow say they would be unable to afford a £3,500 vet bill.
Nearly as many in Manchester (59%), Nottingham (58%), Liverpool (55%) and Bristol (51%) said the same, with more than half of respondents saying they could not foot such severe treatment costs.
Newcastle, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester are the UK cities where owners are struggling the most with everyday expenses, exposing a hidden pet welfare crisis. Across the UK, one in three pet owners are either struggling or seriously worried about the cost of keeping their pet due to rising costs of food for themselves, energy and utility bills.
One in ten owners said they had already had to give up a dog due to financial pressure, while a further one in ten has seriously considered it. The Blue Cross research shows almost half of owners fear that rising costs could soon force them to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their pet.
One in four owners have cut back on how much they feed their pet while more than a quarter have delayed or avoided visiting the vet because of cost concerns.
Blue Cross Ambassador, Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon, said: “The unprecedented rise in pets coming into the charity’s rehoming centres is a tragedy unfolding every day. These statistics are more than just numbers – they are pets wanting loving homes, who, in many cases, have been surrendered because their owners have had to make the difficult decision to rehome their much-loved animal companions, as they were no longer able to afford their care.
“And what we see in rehoming centres is only part of the picture. Blue Cross’s research exposes a far bigger problem happening in homes across Britain. A hidden pet welfare crisis. As a vet, my priority is pet welfare and helping people do the best for their pets. But the rising cost of living, along with the increased costs of caring for pets and veterinary fees, is putting enormous strain on owners and the professionals trying to support them.”
Owners are also making personal sacrifices to keep pets fed and cared for, with nearly a quarter saying that they have gone without food themselves and 18% cutting back on heating to feed their pets.
Blue Cross says it is seeing the consequences of this financial pressure every day, with growing numbers of pets being surrendered by owners into its centres and increasing cases of abandonment.
Blue Cross now operates pet food banks in Sheffield, Exeter, Newport, Bicester and Manchester, and works with more than 500 food banks nationwide, supported by Pets at Home, to help keep pets fed and families together.
It also provides low-cost vet care with its Veterinary Care Fund. Chris Burghes, Blue Cross CEO, says: “This is a hidden welfare crisis unfolding behind closed doors across the UK. Owners are being forced into heartbreaking choices about feeding themselves and their families or giving up their pets.“
Pets are part of the family, and for many people they are their only family or companion – their reason to get up every morning. We see the sacrifices owners are making every day to keep their pets, including skipping meals and cutting back on heating.
“Without urgent action, more families will be pushed into the devastating decision to give up a much-loved animal. Our priority is to offer a lifeline and keep pets and people together wherever possible, rather than seeing animals suffer or families torn apart by circumstances beyond their control.”
