Amid the recent staff strikes, news of Peter Mathieson’s £10,000 pet bill has resurfaced.
Peter Mathieson has been facing criticism following his announcement of £140m worth of budget cuts. This will result in over 1800 job losses across the university and 90 degree programmes being axed.
As of 28 September 2026, staff have been conducting a five week strike to protest the university’s budget cuts.
Since then, students and staff have been scrutinising the university’s spending decisions.
One case that stood out was the large bill spent to relocate Mathieson’s pet cat and dog in 2018.
The bill was funded by the university as part of Mathieson’s welcome package to Edinburgh. A total of £26,000 was handed to Mathieson to relocate from Hong Kong in 2018, with £10,000 of this sum being used for his pets’ relocation.
The bill has outraged many staff and students who were previously unaware, as they have questioned why it was necessary.
Edinburgh University Students’ Association Sabbatical Officers are responsible for representing student voices. They commented on the pet bill: “Every day, we use our seats in high-level university decision-making spaces to work towards these goals and hold the university’s Senior Leadership Team accountable for their commitments to students.”
A source noted that “staff have never forgotten” the cost of Mathieson’s relocation of his pets.
The University of Edinburgh was contacted for a comment.
Photo by Anusha Barwa on Unsplash.
