Reptile expert's warning over dumped pets in energy crisis

Joe Farnell who is the owner of Scaped Nature in St Giles which sells reptiles and isopods as well as enclosures to keep them in.

He said he had seen many reports of dumped pets as well as people trying to sell their pets and tanks on social media. 

But he said the idea that the enclosures cost a lot to run is a "misconception". 

The creepy-crawly expert explained: “I spend less on the running of my enclosures than I spend on coffee each day.

He said: “I think people who re-home and dump animals are doing so solely out of fear and worry.

"People are trying to reduce what they are spending on food and electrics and unfortunately it is usually the pets which are the first to go.” 

But Joe wants to try to spread awareness about how little it costs to run an enclosure like a vivarium.  

He said: “People will look at a 100-watt heat bulb and think it sounds like a lot but it translates into 0.1 kilowatts.

“So if you have your 100w bulb running for ten hours a day in total you use one kilowatt - the average cost of a kilowatt is around 34p.” 

Joe understands there are other costs that come with animals such as food and substrate but added they cost less than people assume.

He said: “On average you are looking at £11 to £14 a month for everything.  

“For me, energy alone is no more than £1.82 per week.

"That's cheaper than a coffee. For me, people should be giving up coffee instead of giving up their animals."

He added there are always ways to save money which include feeding scraps from fruit and veg and fruit powder mixes as well as using a dimming thermostat.  

Joe said: “If anyone is really struggling to keep their animals please don’t just dump them. 

“If you bring a reptile to me I won’t ask any questions. I will take it in and rehome it – there is absolutely no reason to dump an animal.”