Battersea Dogs and Cats Home submitted a report in April 2023 in response to the Environment Food & Rural Affairs Committee’s inquiry on pet welfare and abuse. Here's a paragraph from that report:

'The animal welfare sector, including Battersea, is seeing increased animal abandonment either through relinquishments or strays coming to our centres. Battersea would support the temporary removal of VAT on pet food and veterinary services to help keep pets with their owners.'

The Dog's Trust commissioned a YouGov poll which shows that four in ten (40%) of the UK’s dog owners fear it will be harder to give their dogs all they need this coming winter (2023) than it was last year. Asked which was their greatest worry in terms of dog care, almost half (49%) cited vet bills. 

The trust also began a campaign to have VAT temporarily removed. It reached 90k votes but was ignored by the Chancellor earlier this year. The Chancellor has his own dog, Poppy, “who has changed our family dynamic in a fantastic way, not least for our children, who adore her. She’s brought so much joy to our lives." 

Please, do whatever you can to keep this snowball rolling.

Thank you!