Thursday 16 August 2012
Think responsibly before taking on an animal
Wood Green, The Animals Charity is urging prospective pet owners to realise the commitment they are making before taking on a new addition to the family.
The Charity is receiving daily requests and enquiries from pet owners who have acquired a pet cheaply or for free and when faced with an illness or accident cannot afford any veterinary treatment.
In the past week Outreach Officer Hayley Hurley has taken 15 calls from members of the public seeking financial help including a woman who bought a dog for £20 off social networking site Facebook because she couldn’t afford to spend any more.
Three days later she found out the dog needed leg surgery and approached Wood Green to pay for the operation.
With more than 500 dogs, cats, small and field animals in its care across its three centres, the Charity is struggling to cope with increased demand for veterinary treatment from members of the public and is therefore urging new owners to think carefully before taking on the long term commitment of a pet.
Hayley said: “There is no NHS for pets and you will have to pay the full amount up front for treatment which could be up to £70 just to see a vet.
“Animal charities are full of unwanted animals; we do not have funds to pay for vet bills when owners cannot.
“Some areas are very fortunate to have a low cost or charity clinic but this is not a given and it is an owners responsibility, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to find the funds to pay for vet bills.
“If you are struggling to afford basic flea, worming treatment or neutering for your pet please do not go out and get another pet!”
Further case studies:
Mr B called because his dog was having a fit but could not afford the consultation charge to take the dog to the vets.
He had wrongly assumed he would be able to see a vet and pay later or that the costs would be less because he is on income support.
Mrs C called to give up her four cats because they had fleas. She had bought cheap supermarket treatment but couldn’t afford veterinary products. She told us it was likely the fleas had come from the kitten she acquired for free just a week earlier.
3 Comments
I think some thing is missing here, let me think is it common sense.
I do not understand people who take in a pet without working out if they can afford it or not. I understand people can run into financial difficulties, such as being made redundant or becoming ill, and then struggle to pay for a pet they already have, but taking on a new pet and then finding it's too expensive is just plain thoughtlessness and, as usual, it's the animal that suffers.
Please work out how much it will cost to adopt a pet before you do so. You need to include food costs, regular vet trips and medication (the one-off cost of neutering, one annual checkup plus vaccinations, flea and tick medication) and also insurance to cover any injuries or illnesses. You also need to factor in costs for what to do with your pet when you go on holiday (either somewhere you can house your pet or getting a sitter), unless you are lucky enough to have friends or family who will help out.
Pets give a lot of pleasure and they are worth every penny, but they are not cheap. If you want the company of an animal without much expensive, please consider fostering.
I am an experianced animal owner, especially where Cats are concerned, I've had them all my life and I'm 50, we, were told that the Cat we got was ok, the neighbour failed to tell us that the Cat in question was a Bengall, it was only 2 and a half years down the line that the Bengall in her showed it's prominance, she was terrible, scratching, and hissing and in the end it was that I had to make the decision to take her to a re-homing centre, the hardest, heartbreaking thing I have ever had to do with a Cat. So not only are people unscroupoulous in their dealings when breeding Cats, they are downright halfwits in not telling the folks who the Cats go to that they are half Feral which was the problem in my case with my Cat.