I think we need a childcare voucher system for PETS!!

[Kneesbendarmstretchrarara]

Have had my dog for 7 years and he was my first ‘baby’, even since having my daughter, he is still my baby.

Am now having to look into using a dogwalker (am an emotional mess over it) and it just occurred to me that it would be blooming helpful to have a pet version of childcare vouchers or some free hours.

It’s so expensive. Not that I mind, of course as we always want the best care for our babies but over the month, that’s going to add up big-time.

Just putting it out there so I can be laughed at!!!

In a similar vein to @Ms a man tried to get me to join WWT as a member. He seemed very surprised to learn that I wouldn't be joining after he said dogs weren't allowed, and was unable to name any WWT places near my home I've still never been to one of their sites.

OP take your point, what would be even better would be more organisations that support low income people with pets. There are a number of these organisations in the US for example, it always seems terrible that when many people lose their jobs their pets also lose their homes.

We all know pets cost. If we can't afford the expense, we don't have them! Simple. I would have some sympathy with someone who had a pet and then fell on hard times of course.

@Rebecca you could say the same about having children - but people still choose to have them and the government heavily subsidises that (education, healthcare, childcare, child benefit etc etc).

Arguments around pets being a choice (which they are) tend to fall down when it's pointed out that childbearing is also a choice for the individual.

The National Trust Drive me bonkers. ‘We’re very dog friendly! (No dogs in the house. Or in this bit of the garden. Or that bit of the garden. Or in the gift shop. Or in the cafe. Or on the paths. Or off the paths.) Our car parks are very shady though! Because we all know it’s just fine to leave your dog in the car allll day so long as it’s shady.’

Melford Hall in Suffolk used to let dogs in the garden next to the tea room so you could sit and have a cuppa after your dog walk. Until some entitled twat let their dog shit in there and then all dogs got a blanket ban. They lady did helpfully point out that we could take the dog all round the park though. Full of sheep. With lambs.

Oh yes. There’s one near me like that. No dogs in the gardens of the house, so you can’t get to the cafe. But feel free to take your dogs in the parkland. That’s the deer park land. How relaxing.