Motion tabled in Holyrood to save Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home from collapse

A motion has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament to save the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home from potential closure after the organisation warned of an 800 per cent rise in its energy bills.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton wants to encourage a cross-party intervention to help save the home from collapse.

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is a 140-year-old animal refuge that provides shelter and rescue for hundreds of dogs and cats annually. Faced with rising energy bills, however, the charity has said this increase “could be enough to bring the home to its knees this winter”.

According to the shelter on Seafield Road, electricity supplies next year will cost them an estimated £31,160, while the gas bill is expected to top £63,735.

Edinburgh Dog and Cat home faces an uncertain future after a staggering 800 per cent rise in gas and electricity bills.

The charity is also grappling with an unprecedented rise in owners seeking to rehome their pets, partly due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Cole-Hamilton, the MSP for Edinburgh Western, said: “Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home (EDCH) is an absolutely fantastic charity that provides a caring and compassionate environment to animals needing rescue and shelter. As the first charity in the country to provide food banks with pet food, it currently feeds 3,000 animals.

“Sadly, the sky-rocketing cost of energy bills has pushed the home to the brink of closure, especially when it relies so heavily on gas and electricity to keep its animals warm and well-fed. With no financial support in place from either national or local government, the home depends solely on the generosity of its donors.

“That is why I am today tabling a motion to inspire an intervention from MSPs across Parliament, which will save this iconic Edinburgh institution from collapse. I want to see the Scottish Government working in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and animal welfare organisations, so that EDCH gets the support it desperately needs.”

Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, who represents the Lothian region, gave his support to the motion.

He said: “I have had recent meetings with the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and been working to help them secure support, so I will happily back this cross-party measure. I hope the local community and business across Edinburgh will come together to help support the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home to help meeting these rising costs.”