As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, it is set to spell heartache for one disabled Scot. Devastated John O'Hare is being forced to give up his beloved pet amid rising bills.
John is currently having to fund a new home for his pet tortoise Pat- after rising fuel bills saw him rack up gas and electricity arrears of £2,250. John cannot afford the ultra-violet and infra-red lighting needed to care for the Egyptian Tortoises tank.
He is being forced to find a payment plan to settle the demands which will have to come off his benefits. If he turned off the lamps, however, his beloved pet of eight years would die, having been bred for the desert.
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According to the Daily Record, John, of Newport-on-Tay, Fife, said: “It breaks my heart to do it but I’m going to have to let Pat go to a home where they can afford to keep the lights on.
“I was shocked when I got my bill and saw that the arrears had gone through the roof.
“There simply isn’t any way I can pay it off without getting into a long term plan and that means I’ll have to start cutting down on the power I use.
“I get quite emotional thinking about it because Pat has been a faithful friend and he has a real personality of his own.
“He will be around for a lot longer than I will, so I hope he will adjust to a new home.”
John suffers from epilepsy as well as a chronic lung disease. As such, he gets but from government PIP payments.
He was forced to shield during lockdown and has barely left his flat in two years.
John said: “I’m a shadow of the man I was and I struggle to breathe, particularly when there is a wind in my face.
“I have spent a lot of time indoors and I let Pat have the run of the place when he’s awake. He is a wee character and he quite often tries to have it off with the cat by latching onto its leg, which is always good for a laugh.”
He added: “I see on TV all the talk of a cost of living crisis and I can tell you it’s true.
“Who would have thought anyone would have to give up a pet as small as a tortoise because of the running costs?
“I always thought he would be a friend for life and the omens were very positive. We have been a classic hare and tortoise, which I always liked the sound of, although I’m almost as slow as him these days.
“But unless somebody steps in and magics away my fuel bills, I’m going to have to plead for another owner to come forward and take Pat off my hands.”
This is not the first time Pat has been in the news. In 2014, the tortoise appeared after its troubled journey to John’s house.
An unscrupulous pet dealer had duct taped the animal inside a cereal box after selling him to John online. John was horrified to discover his new companion covered in sticky tape and unable to move after buying him on Gumtree.
It had travelled from London all the way to Scotland. After being outraged at Pat’s treatment, he called the Scottish SPCA, who prosecuted the illegal dealer.
John, who paid £100 for the baby tortoise, said: “I called him Pat because he arrived via the postman. He had a tough journey to Scotland but he’s been very comfortable and safe ever since.”
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