More and more Australians are abandoning their pets in recent years. Animal shelters are noticing an increase in pets and lesser pets are being taken over by families.
Cost Of Living Crisis
The reason is the increase in the cost of living which is forcing families to either choose pets over children or children over pets. The cost of living has increased dramatically in recent months which has also led to expensive pet food items. Figures have revealed that the cost of pet products saw an increase of 12% in recent months. “Feeding Charcoal costs as much as $1,600 a year,” Susan Talevski, owner of a dog shelter home said.
A Global Problem
The recent increase in prices is a global problem. The prices of Pet food ingredients like meat, grains, and micronutrients have increased in recent months in the US and EU as well. The prices of pet food in the US are up by 10.3%, 8.8% in the European Union, and 8.4% in the UK.