Are Higher Pet Care Costs Driving More People to Give Up Their Animals?

A friend of mine who volunteers at a local animal rescue recently met me for lunch, and during that hour, she couldn't help but vent about the large number of people who were returning animals they'd adopted during the pandemic. Only instead of being angry, she felt sad -- both for the animals and for the pet owners involved.

At first, I assumed the main reason for such a high number of returned animals boiled down to changing workplace policies. A lot of people I know who were remote for much of the pandemic have recently been called back to the office -- some on a full-time basis. And it's easy to see how that could make caring for a pet more difficult.

But my friend insists that it's not a broader return to offices that's been driving pet surrenders. Rather, she says, the main issue pet owners in that situation point to is rising costs.

Over the past couple of years, inflation has driven the general cost of living way up. And it's forced many people to raid their savings and accumulate debt on credit cards just to stay afloat.

But inflation is also impacting animal owners. And that may be why so many rescues are seeing an uptick in owners who have no choice but to give their pets up.

Higher costs are a problem

Between March 2022 and March 2023, the "pets, pet products and services" category was up 9.4%, according to the Consumer Price Index. And based on that alone, it's easy to see why so many people can no longer afford to care for a pet.

Even with pet insurance, the cost of medical care alone for animals can be prohibitive. Throw in higher costs for food and supplies, and it's easy to see why so many pet owners can no longer manage to cover their expenses.

Giving up a pet isn't the only option

If you're struggling to come up with the money to care for your pet, you may be thinking of giving yours up. But before you do, see if there's a better way. If you're having trouble covering medical bills, with or without pet insurance, talk to your vet about getting on a payment plan. Many vet offices will allow you to spread out your payments over time.

Another option? If you adopted your pet through a rescue, reach out and see if that rescue can provide some amount of assistance. They may be able to provide you with food, medication, supplies, or funds for those things. They might also create a fundraiser on your behalf so you don't have to resort to giving your pet back. You can also check out this list of resources for pet owners who are struggling financially.

It may be that a return to office life is driving more people to surrender their pets. But money is no doubt a factor, too. If that's the case, but you're willing to put in the time and work to care for your pet, there may be different ways to help subsidize the cost of its care -- at least temporarily -- so you don't have to let your beloved pet go.