As tax rises turn up the heat, one of the UK’s largest animal charities has called on the government to help see the nation’s dogs through the winter by removing VAT from pet food.
Dogs Trust has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking the government to recognise that the increased cost of dog food is contributing to the country’s biggest animal welfare crisis for generations.
The charity has already warned it is receiving record numbers of inquiries from people struggling to keep their dogs: this year, it saw close to a 50% increase* from 2021 in handover inquiries, and it expects to reach 50,000 inquiries before the year is out.
Now it is calling on the government to remove the VAT on pet food, saying the 20% cost reduction could prove critical to many pet owners, offsetting spiralling prices to keep pet food affordable.
The latest monthly poll of the UK’s dog owners, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Dogs Trust, reveals almost a quarter (23%) of owners say the rising cost of dog food is their biggest worry about caring for their dog at the moment.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says: “With an estimated 12 million dogs in the UK**, we think it’s only right the government should help offset the price of seeing this nation through the worst animal welfare crisis since the war, by cutting the 20% VAT on pet food.
“With record numbers of people unable to afford their dogs, our priority is to keep dogs and families together. At Dogs Trust we’re doing all we possibly can but, Mr Hunt, we are calling on your help for the unseen victims of the cost-of-living crisis – our nation’s dogs.”
