Why pet care pricing reveals the truth about dental fees

If it's worth £36 a night for the dog, what are your teeth worth?

On our return from holiday in Canada, we picked Sami up from Newgate Kennels and Cattery on Monday afternoon and, after paying the bill, were handed a price guide for January 2026, representing a 24% fee increase on canine accommodation.

24% - woof!

That's a big increase.

Along with the price guide, a covering letter from the Owners:

"Since we welcomed our first guests 76 years ago, the founder of the business, Jess Millett, instilled a simple philosophy which is for all staff to care for the pets as if they were their own. This is still our policy all these years later.

To continue to achieve this level of care we have grown to a workforce of 46 employees. Our trained, dedicated, and caring team are the company’s biggest asset, but the cost of 46 employees is by far the biggest expense for the company and has risen sharply over the past year. We want to continue to provide a work environment that motivates and retains staff as we firmly believe that happy staff equates to your pets being happy and receiving the best level of care. The price increase is necessary to ensure the company can continue trading for many years to come.    

Over the past few decades, we have strived to constantly evolve and improve the service we offer to our clients and their pets. Investments in the company are set to continue with ongoing improvements to our animal accommodation. We also have some exciting plans to improve the experience for you, making it easier to make and view bookings.

We firmly believe that our boarding prices offer value for money based on the service we offer. Later this year we will be launching our exciting new website including more photos and a behind the scenes video showing you what we do on a daily basis to ensure your pets are happy and receiving the best level of pet care.

Thank you for your continued support, we look forward to welcoming you and your pet soon."

It seems we are all in the same boat doesn't it?

The reality, of course, is that most Brits probably care more about their pets than their teeth.

Annie and I care for both, so we have the following options:

1. Stop travelling;

2. Find a new kennels;

3. Pay up.

No discussion required - we will pay up.

I'm sure that many of the same folks who board their pets in this post code are also paying for private dental care.

I'm equally sure that if I asked any dental client in that post code to consider a 24% price rise, they would laugh me out of the conversation - "you must be joking - none of our patients would accept that."

Perhaps all we need to do here is to make oral care and aesthetics as important as a pet's wellbeing? Or maybe feel as proud of and confident in what we do as the team at Newgate?

p.s. - I know you will ask - £29 a night to £36 a night.

And it's Wilmslow, Cheshire.

And there's a waiting list to get in - new members only accepted based on a personal recommendation from an existing customer (thank you Suzanne).

Scarcity creates demand.