Dog Recovery Charge 'Is Excessive'
A dog owner is refusing to pay the "excessive" cost of getting his pet back from an animal shelter.
Charlie, a black crossbreed, is being cared for at Leigh Dogs and Cats Home after bolting from his owner Alex Potts' house.
The dog was taken to the care centre by a member of the public and Mr Potts found him there 45 minutes later, but refused to pay the £25 fee for getting him back.
Now the cost has risen to £46 as Charlie has been at the shelter for several days.
Mr Potts told Wigan Today that he has recently been made redundant and could not afford the fee.
He added that his two children were "very upset" not to have their pet.
Mr Potts commented: "A £25 fee for 45 minutes of care seems excessive."
A council spokesperson said that the £25 was a statutory and government-set charge to help cover the cost of returning lost dogs.
He stressed the importance of keeping dogs secure.
Charlie escaped while work was being done on a fence around the house where he lives.
If the cost of retrieving him is not met in a week, someone else could adopt the animal.
Leigh Dogs and Cats Home told the paper it does not set the charges.
Mr Potts is not alone in being a father who looks after the family pet.
Eyepet recently discovered in a poll that dads frequently end up taking responsibility for dogs, even if the animals were acquired as family pets.
Written by David Hertz
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