Pet recession

AS economic times get tough, pets are some of the first to suffer, with thousands of owners in Britain saying they can no longer pay for spiralling food and vets’ bills.

Half a million pet owners have been reduced to feeding their animals with household leftovers, while two-thirds are having to dig deeper to find an average of £11.04 each week to care for their pets.

One-in-five say they are dropping essentials such as visits to the vet, a study by animal welfare charity The Blue Cross found.