Pets' thuggery costs Britons millions

Posted : 23-06-2006

Almost half of Britons have had their property damaged by other people's pets, a survey has found.

A further 39 per cent of people think that their neighbours' pets are a threat to their children, research by pet insurer Petplan has discovered.

The study, dubbed Pet Watch, showed that pets hurting themselves cost owners £246 million last year.

Petplan's Veterinary Consultant, Scott Miller, said: "Pet Watch proves that the nation’s 'moggy-coddling' is producing a generation of badly behaved cats and pampered pooches, and they are causing havoc on our streets. People are often attracted to fashionable dog breeds but do not appreciate the stimulation different types of dogs need.

"The increasing cat population could be fuelling 'turf wars' too, but on the whole this is an owner, not an animal problem."

Inter-pet bullying is also spiralling out of control, the survey found, with 47 per cent of respondents admitting that their pets had been hurt by another cat or dog.

The pet industry could be worth $4.26 billion by 2010, the BBC reported.






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