Cost of dog ownership rises above inflation
Dogs Trust received over 45,000 relinquishment enquires last year.
The charity Dogs Trust has warned that the cost of looking after a dog is continuing to rise above inflation.
The most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures showed that UK inflation stood at 4.0 per cent in December 2023. According to the charity, the cost of owning a dog had grown by 9 per cent in the same period.
The 5 per cent rise above inflation ended a year in which the cost of dog ownership consistently increased above inflation, rising by more than the CPI in every month of 2023.
The same year saw the charity receiving 45,000 enquires from owners about giving up their dogs, with the cost of pet ownership a significant factor in many cases.
The figures on the rising cost of dog ownership come from a report produced by Oxford Economics for Dogs Trust, which looked at the growth in the costs of goods and services associated with owning a dog since August 2022. All data in the report was sourced from the Office for National Statistics.
In response to the figures, Dogs Trust has repeated its call for VAT to be temporarily removed on pet food and veterinary services to help owners struggling with costs. Last week, it handed the government its Paws the VAT petition, which had been signed by more than 100,000 supporters.
Owen Sharp, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: “As we continue to receive handover enquiries from desperate owners, our priority is to keep as many dogs with their families as we can, and we’ll continue to work with our counterparts across the animal welfare sector to try to ensure dogs won’t go hungry.
“But this burden shouldn’t sit on the charity sector’s shoulders alone. We desperately need the government to step up and play its part for this country’s 12 million dogs and their owners, by cutting the 20 per cent VAT on pet food, at least for the time being.”
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Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
