Owned Dogs: United Kingdom - Data & Facts

Data and facts about the pet owners and owned dogs of United Kingdom.

Highlights

Pet Ownership Challenges

Comprehensive Study on Ownership Challenges

External link:
Muldoon, J. C., & Williams, J. M. (2024). Understanding pet ownership challenges in the UK. https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/426786980/Understanding_pet_ownership_challenges_in_the_UK_March_2024.pdf

Overall Challenges

Pet Ownership Challenges by Demographics

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales	Female	Male
Difficult pet behaviours	1.58	1.5
Financial challenges & anxiety	2.30	2.15
Socio-environmental	1.47	1.53
Pet health issues	1.64	1.67

Mean Score (4-point scale, higher = more challenge)

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales	Benefits Recipients	Others
Difficult pet behaviours	1.65	1.61
Financial challenges & anxiety	2.40	2.2
Socio-environmental	1.60	1.48
Pet health issues	1.69	1.64

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales	Human Food Bank Users	Others
Difficult pet behaviours	1.74	1.63
Financial challenges & anxiety	2.61	2.22
Socio-environmental	1.73	1.52
Pet health issues	1.78	1.67

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales	Pet Food Bank Users	Others
Difficult pet behaviours	1.81	1.63
Financial challenges & anxiety	2.65	2.24
Socio-environmental	1.80	1.53
Pet health issues	1.94	1.76

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales, By Self Reported Health Status	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor / Very Poor
Difficult pet behaviours	1.57	1.63	1.66	1.57
Financial challenges and anxiety	1.99	2.20	2.39	2.54
Socio-environment	1.37	1.50	1.59	1.61
Pet health issues	1.57	1.65	1.72	1.69

Pet Ownership Challenges Sub-scales by Limitations to Day-to-Day Activities	Yes	No
Difficult pet behaviours	1.63	1.62
Financial challenges and anxiety	2.39	2.17
Socio-environment	1.59	1.47
Pet health issues	1.72	1.63

Detailed Challenges Identified by Pet Owners

Individual items on the pet challenges sub-scales	2022	2023
Difficult pet behaviours
They are destructive and damage things in house/ garden/enclosure	1.56	1.72
My pet is hard to live with (e.g., they need a lot of attention)	1.45	1.6
I can’t leave my pet in the care of other people	1.35	1.59
Financial challenges and anxiety
I cannot afford the costs associated with feeding, vet bills, equipment	1.77	2.00
Looking after my pet has cost me far more than I expected	1.99	2.25
Socio-environmental challenges
I am not well enough or able to give my pet the care they need	1.31	1.44
It is difficult to look after my pet due to other family commitments	1.45	1.58
Changes in living arrangements mean it is difficult to look after my pet	1.43	1.6
Personal/family challenges mean my pet is not right for us anymore	1.31	1.46
Changes in my pet mean it is more difficult to look after them	1.60	1.77
I do not have enough support to help me look after my pet	1.43	1.59
Pet health issues
They have toileting issues	1.50	1.66
My pet shows other signs of distress	1.49	1.63

Key Issues for Dog Owners

Key issues for dog owners	2022	2023
Anxiety about what might happen to the dog	53%	51%
Has cost far more than expected	48%	47%
Cannot afford costs of feeding, vets, equipment	24%	21%
The dog’s health issues	24%	26%
They are a nuisance to others	22%	21%
Changes in the dog have made them more difficult to look after	19%	19%
They are difficult to look after / train	19%	19%

Financial Challenges

Financial Challenges	Mean Score
Retired	2.09
Studying	2.03
Looking after home / family	2.24
Long-term sick or disabled	2.45
Other	2.30

Detailed Financial Challenges Identified by Pet Owners

Problem posing difficulty (financial)	2022	2023
Increased cost of living	50%	58%
Reduction in salary or joint incomes	13%	12%
Reduction or delay in benefits payments	2%	4%
Moving into private rental accomodation	7%	5%
Redundancy	5%	5%
Increased childcare costs	4%	5%
Study / education costs	4%	4%

	2022	2023
Concerned about rising cost of living would impact ability to care for pet	28%	28%
Somewhat concerned about rising cost of living would impact ability to care for pet	41%	41%
Source of concern
Veterinary costs	61%	59%
Medications or vaccination	37%	36%
Food costs	29%	30%
Pet insurance	Not asked	27%
Professional services (e.g. grooming, training)	13%	9%
Toys or enrichment	5%	4%

Socio-Environmental Challenges

Socio-Environmental Challenges by Demographics

Number of People in the Household	Socio-environmental Challenges Mean Score
1	1.55
2	1.43
3	1.57
4	1.53
5	1.53
6 or more	1.60

Socio-environmental Challenges	Mean Score
Single person	1.58
Lone parent	1.64
Couple (no children)	1.40
Couple (with children)	1.52
Other (no children)	1.55
Other (with children)	1.62

Socio-environmental Challenges	Mean Score
Single (never married or had a civil partner)	1.53
Married (includes civil partnerships)	1.48
Co-habiting	1.44
Widowed (or surviving civil partner)	1.49
Divorced (or legally dissolved civil partnership)	1.65
Separated	1.90

Socio-environmental Challenges	Mean Score
Living in a house	1.48
Living in a flat, maisonette, or apartment	1.60
Homeowners	1.48
Renters	1.54

Responsibility Distribution	2023
Responsibility for pet was shared with others in household	54%
Main carer with occasional help from others	31%
Only carer	11%
Someone else being the main carer	4%

Detailed Socio-Environmental Challenges Identified by Pet Owners

Items on socio-environmental challenges subscale	2022	2023
Having my pet prevents me from seeing my friends or having visitors	1.64	1.75
Personal/family challenges mean my pet is not right for us anymore	1.33	1.44
I can’t leave my pet in the care of other people	1.46	1.56
I do not have enough support to help me look after my pet	1.49	1.59

Health and Training

% of Survey Participants	2022	2023
Registered at a vet practice	93%
Dogs only	99%
Registered at a private vet practice		86%
Dogs only		93%
Registered with a charity vet		7%
Dogs only		6%
Covered by pet insurance	61%	60%
Dogs only		72%
Neutered	75%	74%
Dogs only		68%
Received behavioral training	14%	16%
Dogs only		27%

Owner Perception By Health, Neuter and Training Status

Sub-scales Mean Score	Yes	No
Socio-environmental sub-scale
Registration with a private vet	1.53	1.63
Pet insurance	1.47	1.56
Pet health sub-scale
Pet insurance	1.60	1.74
Behavioural challenges
Neutered	1.60	1.68
Received behavioural training	1.91	1.59

Perception	Dog Owners	Cat Owners
Difficult behaviours	1.69	1.53
Considered giving up pets because of challenge	8%	10%

The most common breeds of dog that were described as presenting challenges

Breed	%
Mongrel/cross-breed – medium	9%
Labrador Retriever	8%
Mongrel/cross-breed – small	6%
Border Collie	6%
Cocker Spaniel	5%
Jack Russell Terrier	4%
Cockerpoo	4%
Another breed not listed	4%
German Shepherd	3%
Dachshund	3%
Mongrel/cross-breed – large	3%
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	3%
Golden Retriever	3%

Support accessed by pet owners

Support	2022	2023
Have accessed support in the past	16%	14%
Support received
Help with veterinary care	54%
Help wth veterinary care (through a private vet)	not asked	56%
Help with veterinary care (through a charity vet)	not asked	24%
Financial assistance for pet care	8%	5%
Pet food banks	not asked	4%
Pet care support / advice	37%	43%
Behaviour trainng (one-to-one or training classes)	35%	36%
Re-homing advice	9%	10%
Pet bereavement support	4%	5%
Pet walking/sitting	41%	33%
Emergency short-term care	11%	7%

Reasons pet owners did not access support

Reasons	2022	2023
Participants who had not accessed support	84%	86%
Reasons
Didn’t need any support	64%	59%
Didn’t know there was support availale	36%	41%
Didn’t want to access support / services	8%	8%
Not sure which service I could use / was eligible for	24%	24%
Couldn’t physically access the support available	1%	2%
Support / services available to me were too expensive	6%	4%

Perception of challenges faced by owners who accessed vs. did not access support

Sub-scales Mean Score	Accessed Support	Did Not Access Support
Difficult pet behaviours	1.76	1.60
Financial challenges & anxiety	2.32	2.31
Socio-environmental	1.53	1.50
Pet health issues	1.78	1.63

Impact of the Challenges Sub-scales	Accessed Support	Did Not Access Support
Constraints on life	1.78	1.6
Emotional and financial impact	2.17	1.98

Sourcing Pets and Significance

Sources of Pet

Sources	2022	2023
Rescue / rehoming center or animal welfare charity	29%	25%
Breeder	26%	28%
Friend or family members	19%	22%
Online website or social media	18%	17%
Another source	7%	6%

Reasons for Getting A Pet

Reasons	2022	2023
I wanted an animal to care for / love	75.2%	74.9%
Companionship for me	46.6%	44.0%
Another adult who lives with me wanted a pet	26.0%	26.7%
Companionship for another adult who lives with me	20.2%	18.5%
A child in the household asked for a pet	16.0%	18.1%
Companionship for a child	10.6%	13.6%
I was helping others out when they could no longer look after their pet	10.2%	7.4%
Other	6.0%	3.8%

Type of Support / Advice Given

Support / Advice	Dogs (n=825)	Cats (n=556)
Providing for basic needs (food, shelter, exercise, routine care)	58.2%	45.3%
Information about typical natural behaviours	36.6%	22.8%
Characteristics of the animal/health conditions associated with breed	36.7%	23.0%
Past experiences (history of aggression, lived with animals/children)	39.0%	24.5%
The health background of the animal (chronic illness/dietary reqs	39.4%	26.8%
The way they should be handled (what they like/dislike)	29.9%	20.3%
Availability of support to help manage the pet’s behaviour	14.9%	5.9%
Costs associated with caring for the pet/recommended insurance	16.0%	14.6%
I was given no advice by the person/organisation I got the pet from	25.7%	41.2%

Relinquishment

Owners giving up their pets	2022	2023
Relinquished a pet (rehoming, leaving them, putting to sleep)	26%	21%
Animal most recently given up
Dog	53%	56%
Cat	38%	32%
What happened to dog relinquished
Put to sleep		39%
Rehomed to someone they knew		31%
Rehomed to charity		19%
Sold		4%

Reasons for Giving Up A Pet

Main reasons for giving up dogs (up to 3 main reasons per participant)	2022-Dogs	2022-Cats	2023-Dogs	2023-Cats
Issues with the animal’s behavior	34%	18%	21%	27%
Issues with the animal’s health	40%	43%	28%	49%
It was too stressful to look after them	10%	16%	11%	21%
I was not well enough / able to provide the care my animal needed	6%	10%	3%	7%
Financial difficulties / cost of care	3%	8%	3%	10%
Housing / accomodation issues	21%	16%	19%	27%

Support Received Before Relinquishment

Before relinquishment, did you sought support	2022	2023	Total
Support from a veterinary practice	37%
Support from a private veterinary practice		26%
Suport from a charity veterinary practice		4%
Support from Blue Cross			2%
Support from other animal charities			14%
Aware of support from Blue Cross			28%
Aware of supprot from other animal charities			40%
Aware of suport from charity veterinary practice			31%

Potential Alternatives to Relinquishment

What would have been helpful and might have prevented relinquishment of pet	2023
Nothing would have helped in my situation	36%
I don’t know	27%
Support to understand and train the pet	17%
Temporary foster care for my pet	13%
A free online consultation with a vet / online specialist	12%
Financial assistance to pay for health care / surgery	10%
Support with caring activities / walking	7%
Financial assistance to pay for food and general upkeep	5%
Support to help family that would have given more time for pet	5%

Feeling Experienced After Relinquishing Pet

Feeling	2023
Relieved	20.7%
Sad / distressed	85.2%
Disappointed	23.7%
Guilty / ashamed	46.9%
Other feelings	10.1%

Research Summary | Back to Top

Owner Perspectives

Jump to: Spay/Neuter Surgeries

Spay/Neuter Surgeries

Jump to: Public Acceptance

Public Acceptance

External link:
Wongsaengchan C, McKeegan DEF. The Views of the UK Public Towards Routine Neutering of Dogs and Cats. Animals. 2019; 9(4):138. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9040138

Acceptance Levels and Reasons

More than 80% of the respondents agreed with routine neutering
- Male dogs 88.47%;
- Female dogs 86.03%;
- Male cats 89.58%;
- Female cats 87.36%

Reasons ‘For’ Neutering to Prevent:	Male Dogs	Female Dogs	Male Cats	Female Cats
Unwanted puppies/kittens	4.18	4.25	4.37	4.42
Unwanted behaviours	3.87	3.88	4.23	4.02
Sexual frustration	3.75	3.64	3.83	3.82
Pregnancy discomfort and pain	–	3.54	–	3.74
Reproductive diseases	4.20	4.24	4.35	4.31
Unwanted genetic traits	4.07	4.06	3.38	3.25

* Maximum score = 5

Reasons ‘Against’ Neutering	Male Dogs	Female Dogs	Male Cats	Female Cats
Not necessary	1.98	1.85	1.74	1.69
The pain from the surgery	1.86	1.89	1.77	1.81
The risks of the surgery	2.05	2.02	1.86	1.93
Post-surgery inactivity, obesity or urinary incontinence	1.91	1.89	1.76	1.77
The right to body integrity	1.83	2.00	1.75	1.75
The right to reproduce	1.72	1.74	2.00	1.71
The right to have natural sexual and parental experiences	1.77	1.74	1.73	1.70
The cost of neutering	1.62	1.63	1.60	1.60
Neutering should be done only for medical reasons	2.73	2.84	3.00	2.90

* Maximum score = 5

By Owner Diet Choice	‘For‘ Neutering				‘Against‘ Neutering
	Male Dogs	Female Dogs	Male Cats	Female Cats	Male Dogs	Female Dogs	Male Cats	Female Cats
Meat	4.04	3.95	4.03	3.92	1.96	1.91	1.87	1.87
Meat reduction	3.98	3.90	3.98	3.88	2.16	2.14	2.07	2.07
Pescetarian	3.89	3.78	4.09	3.91	1.98	1.91	1.76	1.73
Vegetarian	3.69	3.83	3.97	3.93	2.03	1.88	1.87	1.84
Vegan	4.24	4.12	4.13	4.06	1.81	1.73	1.60	1.60

* Maximum score = 5

Research Summary | Back to Top