Every year, the PDSA publishes its Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, the UK's largest annual assessment of pet wellbeing. Using a nationally representative sample of pet owners, the vet charity focuses on five major welfare needs: health, behaviour, companionship, diet, and environment.
This year's report found that dog ownership has reached an all time high of 11.1m - the largest number since records began in 2011 - confirming the UK's reputation as a nation of dog-lovers.
One of the major concerns raised by pet owners was the increasing cost of living. More than half said they were worried about affording veterinary care, while others said they were not accessing essential services such as regular vaccinations and microchipping.
In October this year, the Competition and Markets Authority published its report examining veterinary services for household pets, which found that vet prices rose by 63% between 2016 and 2023 - considerably faster than general inflation.
Martin Coleman, chair of the inquiry, said: "There is no NHS for animals and veterinary businesses need to make a reasonable profit to continue providing good quality care and invest in the latest treatments. Veterinary care can be expensive, especially for more advanced treatments: pet owners are buying a highly skilled service, often requiring advanced equipment, and sometimes being seen at short notice.
"It is also important that veterinary businesses provide a quality service that people can afford. We have received an unprecedented number of complaints from the public and members of the veterinary profession about veterinary businesses and our inquiry has provisionally found significant problems in how competition and regulation (which is hugely out of date) have been working."
The report set out a range of measures to improve information on prices, treatments, medicines and ownership; introduce a price cap on written prescriptions; deliver a new comprehensive price comparison website; and modernise the current regulatory system.
The report was welcomed by the PDSA and the British Veterinary Association. PDSA Chief Veterinary Officer Steve Howard said: "As the UK's leading vet charity, we see first-hand the pressures that the cost of living crisis has placed on pet owners, particularly those on low incomes. We feel that improving clarity around pricing, ownership structures, and treatment options could help pet owners make more informed decisions - provided such measures do not negatively impact the general availability of care or PDSA's ability to deliver its charitable veterinary services.
"Demand for PDSA's services is rising year on year as more pet owners struggle with the cost of living. Our teams work tirelessly to provide vital care to pets in need."
Key findings from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2025
1. The estimated population of dogs continues to grow, now at its highest ever level, with 11.1 million dogs in the UK. The population of cats is relatively steady (10.5 million), while the number of rabbits estimated in the UK continues to decline (700,000)
2. People most commonly get their dog from a breeder (33%), and half (50%) visit on more than one occasion before taking them home. Cats are most commonly acquired from a rescue (33%), with just over two-fifths (43%) visiting on more than one occasion before taking them home
3. Perceptions around the cost of owning a pet continue to increase, with over two-fifths saying owning a pet is more expensive than expected (higher than when last asked in 2023). Nearly all think that the cost of owning a pet has increased, also significantly higher than in 2023
4. Half are worried about being able to afford the cost of veterinary care for their pet (51%). If asked to pay an unexpected vet bill, a quarter would draw from savings (23%), while 15% would put it on a credit card
5. Nearly two-fifths (38%) of dog owners walk their dog for 30 minutes or less each day. The most common reasons for this are that their garden is big enough (30%), their dog doesn't need any more exercise (28%) or because they have more than one walk a day (24%)
6. Seven in ten dog owners say their walks have unrestricted sniffing/exploration (69%) or interaction with other dogs (69%). Urban dog owners are less likely to say they have the opportunity for each type of enrichment (except owner interaction)
7. Nearly half (46%) of dog owners say their pet has eaten something they shouldn't have, while around a quarter of cat (24%) and rabbit (26%) owners say the same
8. Dog owners tend to be the most well-informed about how to protect their pets' health (e.g. toxic food, signs of heatstroke), but cat and rabbit owners are more likely to know what plants are toxic (47% dog owners, 56% cat owners, 56% rabbit owners)
9. 16% of dog owners believe their pet has some form of mutilation (i.e. docked tail, no dew claws, cropped ears, debarking), with 9% saying their dog has a docked tail
10. Only 25% are aware of a PDSA Pet Hospital in their local area, but around half (51%) live within a PDSA catchment area. Those in more deprived areas are more likely to be aware and more likely to live within a hospital catchment area