UK police incur threefold rise in kennelling and veterinary costs
Police finance teams face tripled kennelling and vet bills
Change
Twenty-two UK police forces increased kennelling and veterinary spending to an average of £423,136 per force in 2024-25, more than triple the £137,400 average in 2022-23 after the XL bully ban.
Why it matters
Police budget holders must absorb sharply higher recurring kennelling and veterinary costs, constraining discretionary funding for frontline policing. Procurement teams will face immediate capacity and contracting pressures to house seized dogs under tighter budgets.
Implications
- — Police finance teams — must reallocate budgets immediately — otherwise recurring kennelling and veterinary bills will force cuts to frontline policing or non-essential services.
- — Police procurement teams — must secure expanded kennelling and veterinary contracts now — or forces will lack holding capacity for seized dogs, jeopardising public safety and triggering emergency operational adjustments.
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Source
The Guardian
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