14 July 2000
 The Price of Pets on the Brain |
The new European on-line community and one-stop shop for vets and pet
owners, Petsonthebrain.com, has published data on the cost of our pets
in support its stated aim of 'reducing the costs of pet ownership'.
Petsonthebrain.com claims that the average costs for responsible UK cat and dog owners are a minimum of £8,000 to £10,000 respectively over a typical lifetime. The company believes that the high costs of pet ownership are frequently underestimated and a major factor in premature pet deaths and abandonment. Whilst more than half of households have pets, few people realise the costs involved and thousands of pets are given up or abandoned each year. There is evidence that abandonment is becoming increasingly common. Julie Briggs, spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "Many people take on pets without thinking through the consequences and can find that the costs related to pet ownership are more than they bargained for. As a result they may either have to give their pets up or can fail to look after them properly, by for example, deciding not to inoculate them." The Costs: For a Medium-Sized Dog - Living to 13 Years Old
For a Cat - Living to 13 Years Old
By linking up with vets across the UK, Petsonthebrain.com claims to be able to offer discounts, on both pet products and a range of preventative veterinary services. The service can be accessed direct or, for those without internet access, via participating vet surgeries. Pet owners will need to take out an annual £20 membership with the site. The company claims that members will receive savings of up to 25% on many products and, if they join the club at their local vets, discounts of at least 10% on certain veterinary services (including flea and worming treatments or vaccinations). Garret O'Leary, CEO for petsonthebrain.com said: "We'll have linked up with around 500 vets by the end of the year. By partnering with vets we are making the savings allowed by the Internet available to as many pet owners as possible and to those who may not otherwise have internet access." Petsonthebrain.com was founded by Garret O'Leary who also founded both Bates Interactive (1994) and Carat Interactive (1996) and worked as a consultant at Excite. More recently, he was senior vice-president, e-business implementation, for Miller Freeman Worldwide plc. UK Pet ownership market: Cats 7.9 million Dogs 6.9 million Other 36.1 million TOTAL 50.9 million In the UK there are 24.5 million households, 12.27 million of which have pets (50.1%). Related Sites: Petsonthebrain |