Public trusts vets over AI for pet care advice
There has been an increase in public trust since 2024.
An RSPCA survey has found an increased trust from pet owners in veterinary professionals, placing consultations over artificial intelligence (AI) advice.
RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index 2025 revealed that 60 per cent of pet owners would go to a veterinary practice for pet care advice, compared to just 38 per cent trusting internet sources.
The response suggests an increase in public trust in veterinary professionals for their pet care advice. This follows a concerning decline, identified in the 2024 survey.
Other sources of information used by the public included their family and friends (29 per cent) and other pet owners (22 per cent).
However, the survey also highlighted ongoing concerns about increasing bills. Seventy-four per cent of pet owners reported that the cost of looking after their pet had increased in the past year.
This has caused more than a third of pet owners to adapt their behaviour to financial pressures, including buying cheaper pet food or buying food less often. Nineteen per cent of pet owners believed their pet had suffered as a result.
There was also concern about how financial pressures might affect pet owners’ abilities to afford pet care and insurance. Nine per cent of pet owners said they no longer bought pet insurance, while five per cent admitted stopping regular, necessary health treatments, such as annual vaccinations.
Rebecca Ashman, head vet at the RSPCA, said: “Encouragingly, these results show that pet owners still place deep trust in their vets - but also reflect the financial strain many owners are currently facing.
“As a profession, we are here to help, and have an opportunity to engage owners early with preventive care advice to help manage the costs of pet ownership.”
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Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
