Now the squeeze really hits home – as animal lovers can’t afford a pet

Higher veterinary bills, swingeing increases in insurance premiums and the cost-of-living crisis are causing some pet owners to think the unthinkable – and ask themselves whether they can still afford to keep their family cat or dog.

According to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the number of pets ending up in its centres as a result of owners no longer being able to pay for their upkeep is on the rise. Last month, more than one in five pets left with the charity were due to owners no longer being able to afford them. This compares to less than one per cent in December 2021.

Enquiries from dog owners looking to rehome their pets are 38 per cent up on last year. Rob Young, head of centre operations at the charity, blames expensive vets’ bills. He says: ‘Last year, we sadly saw a sharp increase in the number of people having to give up their pets because they couldn’t afford essential veterinary treatment.’

Battersea’s data echoes research by dog welfare charity Dogs Trust which indicates that a third of dog owners are worried about mounting costs – with their biggest concerns being vets’ bills, food and insurance premiums.

The veterinary market in the UK is controlled by big players including global giant IVC Evidensia, stock market-listed CVS and Medivet. Official data indicates that vets’ bills are increasing at more than 12 per cent a year. Pet owner Richard Hood, from, Romford in Essex, believe vets are taking customers for a ride. His cat Molly recently spent a couple of days at a vet’s on a hydration drip. He was left with a £1,100 bill. ‘I could have spent a night in the Princess Grace Hospital in London for the same amount,’ says Richard ruefully.

The British Veterinary Association, understandably, takes a different view. It is adamant that vets put clients’ interests first. President Malcolm Morley says animal welfare concerns are being made worse by the cost-of-living crisis. ‘Vets are reporting more animals coming into practices with issues that could have been prevented or minimised if medical treatment had been sought sooner – with many owners citing financial concerns as the cause for delay.’

He adds: ‘Vets always prioritise the welfare of animals and work closely with clients to make treatment plans tailored to individual circumstances.’

Although giving up a pet for adoption is an option of last resort, many owners are taking other measures to reduce costs. These include abandoning expensive pet insurance, especially when their dog or cat gets old and premiums soar.

The impact of a pet’s age on insurance premiums is considerable. Last week, The Mail on Sunday researched lifetime cover (accidents and illnesses) for a two year and one-month old cocker spaniel.

Lender: Rikke Rosenlund

Using comparison website comparethemarket, annual premiums ranged from £55.32 (Purely Pets) to £593.16 (Waggel). This assumed a minimum annual limit on vets’ fees of £1,000 with an excess for each condition claimed. In the case of Purely Pets, the vet’s fee limit was £1,000 and the excess £160. For Waggel, the figures were £10,000 and £100. When the dog’s age was changed to eight years and one month, the annual premiums ranged from £142.92 to £1,443.72. If the cocker had health issues, the premiums would have been even higher.

Many policyholders are putting aside the money they were paying for cover to fund vets’ bills themselves. Ten years ago, Catherine Otley, from Dover in Kent, cancelled cover for her two dogs and started paying a monthly sum to her vet – the money then being used when treatment was needed.

Although the vet pays no interest on the down-payment, she can ask for her money back at any time. It was used to cover the cost of end-of-life treatment for labrador Ben who died in late 2019 – and initial puppy care for red and white setter Chester, three next month. Catherine, 67, a retired administrator for a self-storage business, also has a ten-year-old red and white setter called Callum. She says: ‘The £200 I pay every month more than covers vets’ fees while I have no excesses to pay as with an insurance policy. Best of all, I no longer have to deal with the fury raging inside me whenever I received a renewal notice telling me my premiums had jumped again.’

Shopping around for cheaper cover can reduce premiums, but any existing medical conditions will usually not be covered by any new policy. Seeking alternative cover for 15-year-old westie Buster has saved Ann Dever £230. Ann, who is 66 and works part-time in the gift shop at Wild Discovery zoo near Preston, was told the renewal premium on her Animal Friends policy would be jumping to £509, compared to £385 last year.

This is despite having never made a claim for Buster. ‘I was expecting an increase of 10 per cent, not 32 per cent,’ she says. ‘Using a comparison website, she was able to get equivalent cover for £279 from Petwise.

Health alert: Arlene Wilson wants action to curb premium hikes

Arlene Wilson, from Aberdeen, believes more should be done to stop insurers from trawling through a pet’s veterinary record and denying a claim because it is deemed to be a pre-existing condition. Arlene, a 56-year-old hotel manager, says that when a new policy is taken out, a vet should be asked to provide a certificate stating whether the pet has any ongoing conditions. ‘My nine-year-old Brussels griffon, George, was sick five years ago,’ she says. ‘The vet gave him the all clear, but I do wonder if that illness could be used in the future to decline a claim.’

Many pet owners, especially those on low incomes, are turning to charities such as PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) for access to low-cost vet treatment.

The British Veterinary Association says many vets have arrangements with charities to provide services at reduced cost.

Another issue is that some people are not replacing pets when they die. Instead, they are using services such as BorrowMyDoggy to borrow a pet from a willing owner for a day or weekend. Rikke Rosenlund, founder of BorrowMyDoggy, says she has a million members in the UK and Ireland. Both lenders and borrowers pay an annual fee to join the service.

She says many dogs in the UK are obese or suffer anxiety caused by being alone when their owner goes to work. ‘Our service addresses these issues, helping canine mental and physical wellbeing.’

Gill Earl, from Carshalton in Surrey, would often lend out her cocker spaniel Millie via BorrowMyDoggy to families with young children.

She is now contemplating being a borrower herself after 13-year-old Millie was put down two weeks ago. She says. ‘I’m 70 in a couple of months time. I wouldn’t own another dog, but I would enjoy taking out someone else’s pet.’