The UK’s hidden pet welfare crisis: Millions of animals at risk as owners struggle in silence
Woodgreen Pets Charity uncovers true scale of a hidden pet welfare crisis across the UK, with new research revealing owners are routinely going without essentials such as food, heating and medical care to keep their pets.
Unveiled at this year’s Association for Cats and Dogs Homes (ADCH) Conference, the findings from Woodgreen’s Hidden Lives project reveal that community professionals witness this level of sacrifice every day, as financial, housing and personal pressures increasingly shape the lives of both people and their animals. They also encounter an estimated 7.4 million pets they are concerned about every week, many of whom remain outside the reach of traditional animal welfare services. In many cases, the challenges affecting these pets remain unspoken, unrecorded and unsupported until they reach crisis point.
Commissioned through Savanta and informed by lived experience, the research brings together insights from frontline workers, alongside pet owners and Woodgreen’s own outreach teams. By engaging community professionals already supporting people through financial, housing and health challenges, Woodgreen has uncovered the scale and severity of pressures affecting both owners and their pets.
The data shows that over 90 per cent of community professionals who interact with pet owners as part of their role do so at least once a week. Nearly three quarters encounter an owner facing a pet-related challenge at least weekly, with almost one in five doing so every day. Cost is the most commonly observed pressure, identified by 92 per cent of professionals, followed by gaps in knowledge at 78 per cent and access to support at 74 per cent.
These pressures are having a direct and visible impact on pets. Fifty-nine per cent of professionals believe pets’ behaviour is affected, while 58 per cent report impacts on physical health. As a result, pets are living with the consequences of challenges their owners are trying to manage alone.
The research also highlights the lengths owners will go to order to keep their pets. More than half of community professionals report seeing individuals go without essentials such as food, heating or medication to meet their pet’s needs. Others describe people turning down housing that does not allow animals, delaying their own medical care, or remaining in unsuitable or unsafe living situations to avoid giving up their pets.
Despite this, many of these situations remain hidden from formal support systems. Nine in ten professionals have seen pet owners avoid speaking to relevant services, meaning pets and their needs remain unrecorded. Nearly one in five have encountered a pet owner who did not seek help for an animal in need of medical care within the past year.
The research also identifies community professionals as a critical but under-supported point of contact. While 29 per cent say they are approached directly about pet-related challenges on at least a weekly basis, many feel underprepared, lacking the confidence or training to respond effectively.
Fiona Cooke, Associate Director of Policy and Impact at Woodgreen, said:
“These findings reflect what we have been seeing in communities for many years. There are pets living with unmet needs in homes across the country, and the people who care for them are often doing everything they can to cope before they ever ask for help. By that stage, the situation has often become much harder to resolve.
“What this research shows is that support opportunities already exist within communities, through professionals who are trusted and present in people’s lives. With the right understanding and approach, it is possible to reach owners earlier, reduce pressure on both people and pets, and prevent welfare issues from escalating.”
Woodgreen has been working in communities for over a decade to support pets and their owners through early intervention. The charity is already working alongside frontline professionals to help them recognise and respond to pet-related challenges, providing practical support that keeps pets and people together. This research reinforces the charity’s early intervention approach, ensuring fewer owners reach crisis point and more pets remain in the homes where they are loved.