The housing crisis in Perth has had a significant impact on pet ownership. With pet owners struggling to find affordable pet-friendly rental properties, many are being forced to choose between a roof over their heads, or keeping their pet. Not surprisingly, most have ended up surrendering their pets to animal shelters and refuges. This has led to overcrowding at Perth’s available animal shelters, with some facilities unable to take in any more animals due to lack of space and resources.
According to a report by ABC News Australia, one well-known Perth dog refuge has been receiving up to 10 calls a day about pet surrenders due to the rental crisis. Similarly, a cat shelter has reported that people have been surrendering their cats in unprecedented numbers to the shelter (80 cats per day), largely due to the rental shortage. Some of these organisations have appealed to the public to consider fostering or adopting rescue animals.
