The number of pets being abandoned or surrendered to shelters is growing as Australian owners struggle with unexpected health expenses amid rising cost of living pressures. And people are adopting pets from shelters with unknown medical histories and often pre-existing conditions, all leading to unexpected costs. Compounded with cost-of-living increases, financial stress has led to a large number of pet abandonments and surrenders to animal shelters — with more than 81,000 animals entering RSPCA shelters nationally in 2023-2024, according to the latest data. Credit: SuppliedPetsy pet insurance founder Monica Limanto said animal shelters do an “amazing job rescuing, assessing and caring for household animals” however certain health issues might not be picked up. Unlucky pets that are not being dropped at shelters are instead being found abandoned on the streets.