THREE quarters of dog owners have curbed their household spending to cover the soaring cost of owning a pet.
Research among 2,000 owners found more than half have been hit by unexpected vet bills, which typically set them back £679 a year.
But this has left one in four resorting to buying cheaper food, while 24 per cent are grooming their dogs at home to lower overall costs.
It also emerged 69 per cent are already worried about the cost of dog ownership rising, with other measures taken to cut back on costs including buying a simpler and cheaper pet insurance (19 per cent) or not going on holiday to avoid dog sitting costs (15 per cent).
The research was commissioned by Guide Dogs, which is asking people to support its Puppy Appeal to raise money for its life-changing work and provide dogs to those who need them, amid rising costs for the dogs in their care.
A spokesperson for Guide Dogs said: “Dog owners are facing price rises across many different aspects of their pet’s care, as well as increases in cost of living more generally.
“We know all too well the pressures people are facing to provide the best care for their dogs.
“We shoulder all the major costs for our guide dogs throughout puppyhood and their working lives, as we don’t want someone’s financial status to be a barrier to having a life-changing guide dog.
“That’s why this October, we are asking those who can, to support our Puppy Appeal and help to support more people living with sight loss.”
The research found some dog owners have even had to take out a loan (six per cent) and crowdfund (five per cent) to help pay for a bill for their dog.
More broadly, the research found the food shop (52 per cent), utility bills (47 per cent), insurance companies (31 per cent) and vets (25 per cent) are where people are noticing the biggest price rises.
In a bid to limit expenditure, people are cutting back on eating out (30 per cent), nights out (27 per cent) and expensive gadgets (23 per cent) to help afford dog-related costs.
But despite the sacrifices they need to make, 68 per cent were understanding of the need vets and other businesses have to increase their costs to cover outgoings.
And 83 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, sympathised with charity organisations which are having to spend more money to keep up with the costs of caring for dogs.
A Guide Dogs spokesperson added: “It’s natural that we love our dogs – they’re an important part of the family and bring joy to us every day.
“But we know it’s not always easy cover the costs associated with looking after them.
“The cost rises add strain to charities like ours who provide vital life-changing services. That’s why we urgently need additional support to our appeal.”
