Pet Surrenders Rise as Veterinary Costs Soar, Straining American Families

The Brief
  • Ruff Start Rescue has noticed an increase in pet owners giving up their animals.
  • It held a Wellness Clinic on Saturday aimed at reducing the figures.
  • According to a survey, the costliest aspect of pet ownership is veterinary care.

PRINCETON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A shelter for animals in Princeton has noticed more people giving up their pets recently. They attribute this trend to the high expenses associated with veterinary treatment and economic hardships faced by many families.

The expense associated with caring for animals influences the number of surrenders.

What we know

Ruff Start Rescue reports that approximately 10 pets are surrendered daily. To address this issue, they hosted a low-cost wellness clinic on Saturday aimed at reducing these numbers.

By the numbers

Ruff Start Rescue informs FOX 9 that the number of individuals giving up their pets has been increasing from January through March over the last four years. They received 448 pet surrender requests in 2022, which climbed to 475 in 2023. This trend continued into 2024 with an increase to 594 cases before reaching a peak of 726 animals being relinquished within the initial quarter of the year.

A Hill's Pet Nutrition study indicates that individuals earning below $75,000 annually are more prone to relinquish their pets due to monetary issues.

Inexpensive health center eases monetary strain

What they're saying

"I paid $38 for two nail trims and one rabies shot," stated Chantelle Stroman from Coon Rapids.

Stroman managed to save over $150 having her dogs, Otis and Bella, looked after at the Ruff Start Rescue Clinic. She mentions that without this facility, affording care for her pets would be quite challenging.

"I would have to be forced to get rid of them," said Stroman.

Why you should care

That’s why on Saturday Ruff Start Rescue offered services like a nail trim for $10, a Heartworm test for $20, and a 4DX test for $38.

"My mom had to take care of [Bella] for a long time for me, because I wasn't physically, financially, able to take care of her," said Stroman.

In that same study, 84% of people said veterinary care is the most expensive part of having a pet. There’s also food and supplies to think about as well.

"If Bentley likely required around $400 or $500 for his needs today," explained Nancy Benzinger from Champlin.

"We truly need to manage the expense of veterinary services. Without this, seniors won’t be able to keep their animal companions," Benzinger noted.

To learn more about Ruff Start Rescue, please click here.

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