Your World of Legal Intelligence
 United Kingdom | +44 (0) 20 7284 8080

Struggling Scottish man forced to give up pet as he can no longer afford bills

Document Cited authorities 1 Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorMark McGivern
Published date23 June 2022
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
John is currently having to fund a new home for his pet tortoise Pat- after rising fuel bills saw him rack up gas and electricity arrears of £2,250. John cannot afford the ultra-violet and infra-red lighting needed to care for the Egyptian Tortoises tank

He is being forced to find a payment plan to settle the demands which will have to come off his benefits. If he turned off the lamps, however, his beloved pet of eight years would die, having been bred for the desert.

READMORE: The cheapest Edinburgh petrol prices as average cost of fuel hits 189.33p per litre

According to the Daily Record, John, of Newport-on-Tay, Fife, said: "It breaks my heart to do it but I'm going to have to let Pat go to a home where they can afford to keep the lights on.

"I was shocked when I got my bill and saw that the arrears had gone through the roof.

"There simply isn't any way I can pay it off without getting into a long term plan and that means I'll have to start cutting down on the power I use.

"I get quite emotional thinking about it because Pat has been a faithful friend and he has a real personality of his own.

"He will be around for a lot longer than I will, so I hope he will adjust to a new home."

John suffers from epilepsy as well as a chronic lung disease. As such, he gets but from government PIP payments.

He was forced to shield during lockdown and has barely left his flat in two years.

John said: "I'm a shadow of the man I was and I struggle to breathe, particularly when there is a wind in my face.

"I have spent a lot of time indoors and I let Pat have the run of the place when he's awake. He is a wee character and he quite often tries to have it off with the cat by latching onto its leg, which is always good for a laugh."

He added: "I see on TV all the talk of a cost of living crisis and I can tell you it's true.

"Who would have thought anyone would have to give up a pet as small as a tortoise because of the...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT