The review by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is part of efforts to protect the 17m households who now own a pet in the UK - a figure that jumped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The watchdog said it was concerned that a drop in independent vet practices across the industry - which accounted for just 45% of practices in 2021, compared with 89% in 2013 - had left households with few opportunities to shop around. That could result in poor information about pricing and treatment, particularly for urgent and life-saving treatments.
Overall, the annual cost of owning a dog is estimated to have jumped by 12.8% - about £256-over the past year to about £2,500, according to the Office for National Statistics. Households expect to spend more than £39,078 during a pet's lifetime, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home figures suggest. A recent survey by the Dogs Trust charity showed four in five owners were worried about the costs of caring for their dog.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 08, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 08, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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