TRADE TALK | PET GAZETTE | 9
RSPCA SHROPSHIRE CHAIRMAN STOLE
£184K FROM CHARITY
Peter Ralphs admitted a charge of fraud by abuse of position of power at Shrewsbury Crown Court
A former RSPCA chairman of its
Shrewsbury branch has admitted a charge
of fraud by abuse of position of power
after he stole £184k from the charity.
Peter Ralphs, 69, admitted the charge
at Shrewsbury Crown Court and will be
sentenced on 11 December. The RSPCA
said it was “heartbroken” at the events
and that money donated to animals had
been taken in this manner. Ralphs’ crimes
date from between 3 November 2014 and
1 January 2017.
An RSPCA spokesperson added: “RSPCA
branches are run as separate charities and
rely on the hard work and dedication of
volunteers supported by generous animal
lovers in the community. We would like
to reassure supporters that the branch
continues its vital work helping animals.”
It is said that the case involved one
individual from the county’s branch, which is
a seperate charity to the RSPCA.
PETS AT HOME SUFFERS 80
PERCENT DROP IN PRE-TAX PROFITS
The company is also considering the closure of vet practices in 30 locations
Pet retailer Pets at Home has reported an
80.5 percent drop in pre-tax profits from
£40.8m to £8m in its financial results for the
28 weeks from 30 March to 11 October 2018.
The company attributed its performance
to “increasing cost pressures” faced by
its veterinary business. The company
said it was considering the closure of vet
practices in 30 locations as the company
believed they may not be “viable over the
longer term”. However, Pets at Home said it
planned to open 20 new practices in 2019.
It will also offer to buy some 55 practices
back from joint venture partners and
operate 25 of them as company managed
practices. The company expects this to
result in total non-underlying income
statement costs of up to £49m and non-
underlying cash costs of up to £27m.
The group’s revenue increased by 6.7
percent from £468m to £499.3m when
compared with the same period last
year. It’s retail revenue saw a six percent
growth from £418.5m to £443.7m while its
vet group revenue grew from £49.5m to
£55.6m – rising 12.3 percent.
Peter Pritchard, group chief executive
officer, said: “Reviewing our vet group has
been a priority. I recognise we have grown
at pace and more recently, have seen the
pressure that rising costs and our fees are
placing on this young business. We will
need to recalibrate the business to deliver
more measured growth, whilst maintaining
our plan to generate significant cash
profits.”
NATION SPENDS £12BN ON PETS
Dog owners now spend £1.4bn more in 2018 across the nation as a whole than they did in 2016
British dog owners now spend a total of
£12bn on their pets every year, according to
new research.
The research by American Express, found
there has been a marked increase in recent
years as a result of both average spend per
pet rising (now £1,342 per pet from £1,252
in 2016) and the total number of dogs
across the nation going up (from 8.5 million
in 2016 to an estimated nine million).
Dog owners now spend £1.4bn more in
2018 across the nation as a whole than they
did in 2016. Over half of British pet owners
say they like to use small and independent
retailers, citing quality of service and the
fact that shop owners know their pets and
can help find the best products for them.
When it comes to yearly expenditure, the
www.petgazette.biz
research found on average, dog owners
spent £390.48 a year on dog food, while
other necessary expenditure included
insurance (£251.76 a year) and their dog’s
health (£63.87 a year).
That means that the remaining £636.11
spent on average per pooch annually is
discretionary, including toys, professional
grooming, kennels, clothing and
accessories.
Caroline Bouvet, VP at American Express
said: “It’s no secret that we are a nation of
dog lovers, and we love to spoil them. Our
research shows that British dog owners are
spending more and more on treats for their
pets, and many of them are choosing small
businesses to do so thanks to the great
products and tailored service they provide.
“We hope dog lovers will show their
support for the pet stores, grooming parlors
and other independent pet businesses
that serve them and their best friend
by shopping small this Small Business
Saturday, and beyond.”
December 2018