Pets suffering as recession bites deeper

There is growing evidence that the economic downturn is affecting peoples' ability to guarantee the wellbeing of their pets.

Britain's biggest pet insurer, Petplan, says it's increasingly concerned that many people are trying to economise by reducing their insurance premiums or cancelling them altogether, and may unwittingly be creating greater problems for themselves.

The insurer works closely with rehoming charities to promote responsible pet ownership. Clarissa Baldwin from the Dogs Trust said ‘Sadly we are seeing the results of the deepening recession at some of our rehoming centres, and especially an increase in dogs with medical problems whose owners have been unable to pay for ongoing treatment. We fully appreciate that it's really difficult for people not to make cutbacks in their spending, but we would urge the public not to see insurance for their pets' health as a non-essential.

Alison Andrew, Marketing Manager from Petplan noted, ‘Last year eye disorders in dogs were one of the most frequent claims we had to deal with. Reoccurring conditions like glaucoma can cost more than £1000 pounds per year. A Petplan Cover For Life policy would cover the cost of veterinary bills that may occur. People without pet insurance may find it impossible to raise the money to pay for such reoccurring conditions.

‘We pay out more than £2 million pounds every week in claims, so we know how much cheaper it is for people to keep paying insurance than run the risk of losing their pet or watching it suffer. It's genuinely worrying to us when we hear people talking about cutting insurance as a moneysaving tip, because we understand the heartbreak people can suffer if they suddenly find they can't afford to treat their pet any more'.

Clarissa Baldwin from the Dogs Trust added ‘As well as taking away peace of mind in difficult times, cancelling your pet insurance could have a potentially terribly upsetting effect if something does go wrong and you can't meet the cost of your vet bills. Anyone struggling to care for their dog at the moment should contact Dogs Trust on 020 7837 0006'.