It was May Money Month on London Scottie Radio, and we probably scared potential dog owners witless about the cost of owning a Scottish Terrier.
If you have been following our pawed-casts on London Scottie Radio this month, you will know that we have been addressing the rising cost of living which has been a concern to households up and down the country in 2022.
Part of that big bill is your Scottie. Following research by STECS’ Welfare Officer Cath Marchbank and London Scottie Club Founder George Matlock, we worked out how much it can cost to raise a Scottie. The calculations assume that all services are required and paid for at 2022 prices. No allowance has been made for any future inflation that might raise prices further.
Among the factors that were included in the calculation: the cost of buying a puppy, pet food, pet insurance, annual vaccinations, day care, dog walkers, hotel surcharges, and grooming. We did not include the cost of medical treatments which can run into tens of thousands of pounds, but instead assumed owners have chosen to pay insurance premiums.
So if these numbers look high and you are unsure whether you can budget for this, you should think very hard about whether you can afford a Scottie or other canine. We don’t want to put off anyone who wants a dog. But we also don’t want people to put up dogs for adoption later when the cost becomes too much for the owner. It means heartbreak for owner and dog.
If you are doubtful about whether you can afford a Scottie then we consider it job done to have informed you of what you may face. In the real world, we are sure that the cost of a Scottie can be lower. But what if your circumstances change? What if you need day care or a dog walker because your employer insists you return to the office and not work from home post-lockdown? Or what if you lose your job and your income shrinks?
These lifestyle changes impact your household and inevitably are to the detriment of your dog. And while it is stoic of some owners to say they would rather go hungry and ensure their dog is fed, we all need to take a sustainable view of what we can do. Our aim with this topic is to help responsible owners who have Scotties to weather the growing costs of owning a dog, and to inform potential dog owners of what they could face.
If you missed the pawed-cast episodes, here they are in Chronological order:
EP 24: SCOTTIE MOT | CATH MARCHBANK
EP 26: SCOTTIE MOT | JACKY ASH
EP 27: SCOTTIE MOT | CATH MARCHBANK
