Insight: Oct 3

This week on Insight, the rising costs in pet care. What value is a pet: too pricey or priceless?

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.”

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

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.

8:30pm Tuesday on SBS.