Millions of people in the UK may be completely reliant on their pets for companionship this Christmas, according to research from vet charity PDSA.
Off the back of findings from the annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report, PDSA is warning that the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the UK means that the benefits pets bring to their owners is being put at risk.
The owners of 1.2 million UK pets stated they were more likely to apply for veterinary care from charities during lockdown, if they became eligible for help.
The PAW Report, produced in conjunction with YouGov, which has tracked pet wellbeing in the UK for the last decade, found that the owners of 2.8 million UK pets live in a single-person household.