'Dehydrated and covered in faeces but bandaged': Pets abandoned as living costs rise

There was a huge increase in pets during the pandemic but as Australians grapple with a cost-of-living crisis, many are struggling to care for their furry friends or worse, are surrendering or abandoning them.

There's been a huge increase in the number of pets in Australia since the COVID-19 pandemic, and almost half of us have had to cut back on the money we spend on them. Source: Getty / urbazon

Watch Insight episode Pet Price, where we ask if pets are too pricey or priceless, on SBS On Demand.

When staff at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home opened a backpack left on their doorstep, they were devastated by what they saw.

A ragdoll cat with a bandaged broken leg was severely dehydrated, suffering from diarrhoea and covered in faeces.

The staff took the petrified cat in, named her Penny Lane, gave her complex and costly orthopaedic surgery to ensure she could walk again, and cared for her until one of the shelter's nurses adopted her.

Penny Lane was dumped at a shelter, scared and confined in a cat backpack and with a complex fracture in her leg. Source: Supplied

"The owners were obviously desperate that their cat could get the care that it needed," Melissa Penn, general manager of the home, told SBS Insight.

"She came with medication that had obviously been prescribed by a vet. If the vet had told them the cat needed surgery that cost thousands of dollars, that's not an option for someone who's financially struggling."

Similar stories are commonplace in shelters across the country as Australians grapple with soaring living costs, elevated rents and crippling mortgage repayments. The tight rental market, where people without pets can be favoured, is exacerbating the problem.

Sydney Cats and Dogs Home is getting around 100 phone calls every week from people needing or wanting to surrender their animals. RSPCA NSW receives 20 calls a day relating to surrenders, with more than 1,200 animals already on their surrender list, awaiting a shelter space to become available.

"One in five surrenders coming to us are from people struggling financially," Kieran Watson from RSPCA NSW told SBS Insight. "And that also includes people unable to find rental accommodation with their pets.

"This is really heartbreaking because we know the house they're in is a loving home."

Animals waiting longer to find their forever home

While more animals are being surrendered, or worse abandoned, they're also living in shelters longer as they await adoption.

At an RSPCA shelter in Coffs Harbour in Northern NSW, a healthy kelpie called Magenta spent 843 days – more than two years – waiting for someone to love her. While she was given regular walks, she spent long periods alone, surrounded by other dogs barking.

Happily, a senior couple looking for a dog to keep them active eventually decided to adopt her.

Magenta spent 843 days - more than two years - in a shelter waiting to be adopted. Source: Supplied

At RSPCA NSW, the average length of stay for adult dogs has soared from 7.4 days last year to 34.3 days.

"It's an uncomfortable trend," Watson says. "People are putting off adopting an animal, rationalising their budgets and the cost of living against the cost of owning a pet."

These increased lengths of stay also have immense knock-on effects on shelters relating to funding, capacity and resourcing, he added.

Saving on pet care 'a false economy'

President of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), Dr Diana Barker, says part of the problem is "the huge increase" in the number of pets in Australia during the pandemic.

According to Animal Medicines Australia, the number of Australian households with a pet jumped from 61 per cent in 2016 and 2019 to 69 per cent today. That's 6.9 million households with a pet, and an estimated pet population of 28.7 million.

The costs of looking after a pet can come to a shock for many families who don't do their research before bringing an animal home. Source: SBS

Despite this, there's been a 10 per cent decline in visits to vet clinics over the past year, according to the AVA.

"I think the people who are coming are still looking after their pets well, but I think it's the people who are not coming in, the ones we're not seeing, who might be contributing to the shelter increase," Barker told SBS Insight.

Nevertheless, those lucky enough to remain in their homes may be going without much-needed vet care or medical attention as their owners try to save costs.

A survey by financial comparison site Finder of 670 pet owners in July found 45 per cent of pet owners, or 3.1 million households, have cut back spending on their furry friends to save money.

And 3 per cent – the equivalent of 207,000 households – admit they've had to give up their pet or take it to a shelter due to grim financial conditions.

But Barker claims not looking after your pet is actually a false economy.

"That preventative care may seem expensive currently, but can actually prevent larger bills down the track and a whole lot of heartache.

"We are also concerned about some animal welfare issues that might come from not vaccinating. The more people who don't vaccinate, we are at risk of some diseases returning, which can be fatal for some pets."

Research has shown nearly half of pet owners have cut back spending on their furry friends to save money. Source: SBS

Suzana Talevski at the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne says she's seeing many animals in a "pretty bad way" when they're surrendered.

"People aren't looking after their pets in terms of taking them to regular vet checks," she told SBS Insight.

Talveski says it's "understandable" that food for the family comes before pricey vet bills, but she agrees saving on pet care can incur greater costs down the line.

"They need to put food on the table for their family so if that means giving up a vaccine for their pets, they'll probably forgo that."

'No judgement' if you can't afford your pet

Finder's tips for pet owners wanting to lower the cost include buying pet food in bulk, making regular visits to the vet to catch health problems early, grooming your pet at home and taking out pet insurance, which may seem like an unnecessary expense, but could be the difference between life and death if an animal becomes unwell.

Barker advises people to plan thoroughly before taking on a pet.

"A pet is part of the family. If you are adopting or looking after one, please plan financially for it because, unfortunately, unlike us, there's no safety net for animals."

Talevski advises owners struggling to afford their pets to contact their local council.

"Many local councils offer heavily subsided vaccination and desexing programs. And many vets offer a payment plan so you can afford to keep your pet healthy."

But if people really don't have the money to hold onto their pets, they shouldn't feel guilty, Talevski adds.

"If you can't afford to keep your pet, there is no judgement whatsoever. We'd rather an animal come into our care where we could possibly re-home them rather than them being on the streets, particularly with kitten breeding season around the corner.

"The message is don't stay silent, reach out for help."