According to reports from shelters around the country, more pet owners are giving up their dogs and cats because they can no longer afford to care for them. Pet owners all around the country are choosing to give up their four-legged pals due to growing inflation and a higher cost of living.
In a news release from March, Rover, an online marketplace for pet care services, discussed the price of pet care.
According to the study, owners already spend $480 to $3,470 year on each dog, and the majority of owners are afraid that these expenditures will continue to climb. People are spending less on sweets and accessories in an effort to cut expenditures.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that between May 2021 and May 2022, the cost of pet-related items grew by 8.3 percent.
People are reportedly giving up their dogs because they can no longer afford the price of living, according to the Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson. In comparison to the previous year, housing-related surrenders increased by 12%, according to the Arizona shelter.
The Missouri-based KC Pet Project informed the news source that it anticipates taking in 15,000 relinquished animals this year alone. 10,000 dogs were often surrendered to that shelter each year in the past. According to Chief Communications Officer Tori Fugate, 40% of the canines at the shelter were given up due to housing or financial issues.
The identical issue was reported by Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, a shelter in North Carolina. “Animals are pouring into shelters at a much higher rate than we even saw pre-COVID, and we’re seeing less adoptions happening,” the organization’s executive director said. “What that means is that shelters who for years, even decades have not euthanized due to space constraints are facing that reality.”
According to the Humane Society, more people will have to make this difficult choice as rent prices rise. “While we don’t have data on the number of folks who are forced to re-home their pet because of the lack of affordable, pet-friendly housing, we anticipate that more people will need to make this difficult decision as property owners increase rent fees.” the Humane Society told MarketWatch.
