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Key Points
- Pet owners in food-insecure households have reported cutting down on their own food to protect their pets’ welfare.
- About a quarter of food-insecure pet owners polled in a survey reported skipping meals so their animals could eat.
- Animal shelters are struggling to keep up with the number of pets being surrendered amid the rising cost of living.
“I had to lie to my daughter and say our frogs and fish died so I could sell the tanks and save on energy costs,” another respondent to the report, which was supported by Mars Petcare Australia, said.
According to Foodbank’s Pet Hunger Report, nearly a quarter of food-insecure households have skipped meals so their pets can eat. Source: SBS News
Pets are an important part of many households, particularly during difficult times, said Brianna Casey, CEO of Foodbank Australia.
Of those households, 60 per cent were employed, and 77 per cent were experiencing food insecurity for the first time.
“Or being faced with this really confronting decision, an impossible decision, about whether or not they should compromise on their own nutrition or their animal’s.”
Foodbank CEO Brianna Casey said pets can offer companionship, emotional support, routine, and a wide variety of other benefits for people doing it tough. Source: Supplied / Foodbank
Animal shelters overwhelmed and at capacity
The number of kittens surrendered has increased almost 40 per cent over the same period to a staggering 5056 in 2023, plus 1,740 this year so far.
The rising cost of living has left many Australians struggling to afford their pets. Source: SBS News
In addition to rising pet care costs, Lost Dogs Home spokeswoman Suzana Talevski said cost-of-living pressures meant fewer owners were desexing their pets, leading to extra litters and more surrenders.
– With the Australian Associated Press