Danielle Crowe | 30Jul08 | http://www.manninghamleader.com.au/
PETS are paying the price for the rising cost of living with struggling owners surrendering their cats and dogs in droves.
Wonga Park's Blue Cross Animal Shelter has a waiting list of more than 60 people each month who want to give their pets up for adoption.
And already this year 81 more pets have been dumped than at the same time last year. Animal welfare groups put the rising number of surrendered pets down to growing financial pressures coupled with the rental shortage.
Blue Cross manager Porscha Juwa said the main reason people gave for leaving their pets at the shelter was because of difficulty finding rental properties that allowed animals.
"It's simply a matter of people not thinking long-term," Ms Juwa said.
Philip Webb real estate agent Andrew Keleher said few rental properties allowed pets.
"Around 30 per cent of landlords allow pets," Mr Keleher said.
"Most landlords, when given two identical applications, would choose the applicant without pets.
"It's not a matter of discrimination it's a matter of landlords protecting their property."
Ms Juwa said although the initial cost of buying a pet was often little, some people struggled to afford the continuing veterinary and training costs.
Lachlan McGill, of Manningham-based animal welfare charity Providing Aid for Animals Worldwide (PAWS), agreed many shelters were being overwhelmed with dumped pets due to the rising cost of living.
"People are simply abandoning their pets because they can't afford to feed them, or perhaps pay the veterinary bills," Mr McGill said.
RSPCA animal shelter manager Andrew Foran is encouraging more landlords to accept people with pets.
"Around 25 per cent of the animals surrendered at the RSPCA are due to people moving into rental properties it is becoming an increasing problem," Mr Foran said.