Dog owners are increasingly switching to cheaper foods, or even considering giving up their pet, as “dogflation” continues to significantly outstrip the CPI rate.
Last week the ONS revealed inflation for December was 4% – but the price of owning a dog has gone up by 9%, according to data calculated by charity the Dogs Trust along with Oxford Economics.
The 9% figure is based on a basket of commonly purchased goods and services – including pet collars, dog treats, the purchase of pets, dog kennel fees, vet fees, animal cages, dog food and pet insurance.
The Dogs Trust says dogflation outstripped CPI every month in 2023.
A fifth of owners are considering switching to cheaper dog food as a result, the charity says.
Owen Sharp, Dogs Trust chief executive, said: “Our Dogflation model shows that despite the surprise rise in inflation, dog owners – a third of UK households – are still disproportionately hit by the everyday costs of owning a dog.
“As we continue to receive handover enquiries from desperate owners, our priority is to keep as many dogs with their families as we can, and we’ll continue to work with our counterparts across the animal welfare sector to try to ensure dogs won’t go hungry.”
The charity said it received 45,000 enquiries from owners asking to give up their dogs last year, with 3,277 in December alone.
Last week, it handed its “Paws the VAT” petition, which has received more than 100,000 signatures, to the government. The petition calls for the temporary removal of VAT on pet food and veterinary services.
