"I'm in survival mode now"
They're the words from a cattery owner in Gainsborough after receiving no further funding from the government.
Last updated 10th Dec 2020
The owner of Lea Wood cattery in Gainsborough says she's 'in survival mode now', after receiving no further funding from the government.
A petition has been set up to reclassify kennels and catteries under tourism, which currently has more than 13,300 signatures (10th December).
Liz Burnman , the owner of the cattery said:
"Catteries and Kennels are not recognised as being classed under tourism even though 95% of our business comes from folk going away on their holidays.
We don’t qualify for support due to being classed the same as pet shops and vets whose income for the majority has actually gone up during lockdown.
I’ve been informed that as an essential service and therefore able to stay open I don’t qualify for support even though I have nothing in."
Liz said:
"99% of my clients come to me because they are going away, not because they are going to work on a daily basis, they actually go away.
It's a totally different ball game, it's very rare a cat would be booked in for two weeks because the owners are having a kitchen fitted.
We've relied very, very heavily on the tourism industry and to be pegged in a totally different avenue altogether, makes me really annoyed."