P-05-1061 Give financial support to Pet Boarding businesses, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 31.01.21

To the petitions committee,

Thank you for your time in this matter, my response to the replies you have had are below.

· “We recently confirmed that discretionary support will continue to be available through local authorities in Wales for businesses not on the non-domestic rates (NDR) system who are materially impacted. Discretionary grants of up to £2,000 will continue to be available”.

All kennels and catteries are on the NDR system so are not eligible for this support.

· “Most businesses should also be able to access certain support available from the UK Government – including the Job Retention Scheme”.

The Job Retention Scheme has been very helpful for retaining staff, but it does not cover bills such as insurances and essential maintenance. The other support from the UK government applies to England with the Welsh government setting out the requirements for eligibility.           

· “In addition, alternative funding can be accessed such as the UK Government Bounce Back Loans and the Development Bank of Wales has loan and equity funding available immediately to Welsh businesses”.

Loans are helpful but they must be paid back, this adds debt to a business at a time when they have no income. That lost income will never be recovered, and the long term affects of loans being used to pay the bills is potentially damaging to the long term stability of the business.

· “Therefore, relief from licence fees for animal boarding establishments and not to other businesses from which Local Authorities recover licence fees for example breeders, pubs, music venues etc could be seen as unfair and unjust”.

“The Welsh Government does not deem kennels and catteries eligible for the non domestic rates (NDR) system linked Restrictions Business Fund grants”.

I find it a little insulting that the failure to remove licence fees is justified as being unfair and unjust while simultaneously deeming us not eligible for the NDR system linked grants which are available to pubs, music venues etc. Help has been specifically provided for the travel and tourism sector and the hospitality sector while we have been left to fend for ourselves despite the clear and obvious links to those sectors.

· “We will continue to do all we can to support Welsh businesses through these incredibly difficult times and consider options beyond the current package of support”.

The largest support packages put in place by the Welsh Government are the ERF grants. However, to gain access to these grants’ businesses must meet the criteria. There are several factors that rule out small businesses such as ours. The following criteria are the problems:

Must be VAT registered with a turnover of at least £85,000

The majority of our businesses are small with turnovers below this. This criteria alone puts some of Wales most unique family run businesses at risk, not just in our industry but across the board.

Must employ at least one member of staff through the PAYE system.

Many of our businesses are family run and only employ dog walkers on a self-employed basis and thus are ruled out of the support.

This petition was organised by the Pet Boarders Alliance (Wales) and this response has been made available and approved by its 68 members listed below. As a group we hope that Welsh Government will stick to its pledge to consider options to support our industry.

Aderyn Cat Resort

Alyn Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Aristocats and Top Dogs

Barnlake House

Berry Hill Kennels

Broadlane Kennels

Brook Park Farm Boarding Cattery

Bryn Difyr Boarding Cattery

Cartref Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Cat Hotel Ewole

Cawdor Kennels and Cattery

Cefn Coed Kennels

Cilfynydd Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Clements Dale Cattery

Clwb Boarding Kennels

Cottage Cattery Ceredigion Bwthyn Y Cathod

Country Hound Kennel

Crosslands Kennels

Crynant Boarding Cattery

Cwm Cou Boarding Cattery

Cwtches for Cats

Dderwen Boarding Kennels & Grooming Centre

Downs-side Cattery

Drws-y-Coed Boarding Kennels & Daycare Centre

Ewloe Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Faaram Court Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Fforest Boarding Kennels, Cattery & Small Pets

Four Paws Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Foxcombe Cats Hotel

Gedrys Farm Kennels & Cattery

Gelli Farm Kennels & Cattery

Greenacres Cattery

Hafod Y Bryn Boarding Kennels

Heathroy Kennels & Cattery

HMC Pet Care Dog Boarding & Cattery

Iris's Animal Farm Cattery

Islwyn Boarding Kennels

Kelsion Boarding Kennels

Kenwood Kennels

Kerrylee Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Linton Boarding Kennels

Lisvane Cattery

Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel Barry Island

Maes Gwyn Boarding Kennels

Moggy Mews Cattery

Mountain View Boarding Kennels

Nash Mountain Boarding

Pantafarn

Pantymilah Kennels

Pentyrch Boarding Kennels

Pinecroft Cattery

Sophisticats Cattery Llanelli

Springfield Boarding Kennel & Cattery

Springfiels of Blackwood

Sunnybank Boarding Kennels

Tal-y-Cafn Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Tasha's Pets Home from Home.

The Boarding Centre Ltd

The Cat Cwtch Swansea

The Elms Cattery

The Hairy Hound Nanny Service

The Home From Home Cattery

The Knoll Cattery Carmathen

Ty Coch Stud Farm Boarding Kennels and Cattery

Ty Gwyn Boarding Kennels & Cattery

Tythegston Boarding Kennels

Waunbricks Boarding Kennel

Yew Tree Cattery