WOMAN: We're calling it 'pet-flation'. We're seeing rising food costs in a grocery store, right? So, it's the same thing with pets. You're seeing the pet food-- the pet food prices go up, but you're seeing every single thing that a pet needs is going up in cost. Just like our clothing is going up, our groceries, our apples, all of it.

JEYAN: Imagine having to choose between paying your bills and keeping your pet. For more and more Ontarians, that isn't hypothetical. Animal rescues say they're seeing more people surrender pets not because they don't love them, but because they can't afford to keep them. Food costs more, vet care costs more, medication costs more, and at the same time, people are already struggling with the cost of housing, groceries, and child care. So, what's driving these rising prices? And is there anything pet owners can do? I'm Jeyan Jeganathan. Let's start with the question a lot of pet owners are asking right now. Why has the cost of caring for a pet increased so dramatically over the last few years?

WOMAN: Accessibility to affordable veterinary care is just not-- it's not in the reach of families right now and they're delaying those visits to the veterinarian to be able to see and to be able to treat their animals. So people are having animals at home that are getting sicker and sicker and then they're showing up at our doorstep when they're in a really rough state and they're having to surrender them, and we're seeing it-- I spoke to one of our centres yesterday. They're getting about 15 calls a week for cases of surrender. And it's-- it's-- it's just really sad, and to address it, we really just have to offer that preventable care at the community level, access to veterinary services, but also just, like, pet food banks, partnering with human food banks and being able to have that resource available, behaviour training accessible at the community level. We have this really neat program right now. We're partnering with Meals on Wheels where it's looking at, okay, all of those seniors out there that they need pet food or they need human food, let's just also give them pet food at the same time, and then it's that entry point to be able to go in and say, "Hey, has your has your cat had a nail trim? Do you guys need anything else? When's the last time you saw a vet?" So, it's just bringing those services to the population and those-- the people that really need them, um, and doing it at the community level.

JEYAN: What have you seen of people in the situations that they've had to be in where they've had to make those calls?

WOMAN: Yeah, we offer emergency boarding, which isn't always readily known to the community. So, when there was this case, I think, last week in Orangeville where a family, their rent has gone up astronomically. They could no longer afford their place. They had two dogs and a cat. So, they came to us and they asked for emergency boarding so that they could keep their pets with us while they try to find that next step of their housing to have their animals together. So, it comes in all different types and shapes and forms where you have families that are really-- they're open and they're saying, "Hey, can you help us find a solution? We really want to figure this out," but then there's also families that, like you said, they're just-- they're really-- they're upset and they come and they don't even say it's their animal. They-- They'll say that they found this stray, which for us is the worst thing because if it's a stray animal, then we have to put a stray hold on it. And if it's not having a stray hold, then we can adopt it out into a family right away. So, really just having those conversations with people and trying to understand where they're at so we can really help them first of all stay with their furry friends, but second of all really just help those animals if they can't take care of them anymore.

JEYAN: Dr. Cliff, let's talk pet health care. That's a big one. What is the cost of veterinary care right now? Is it rising? What are we seeing?

DR. CLIFF: Yeah, it is, it is rising for a lot of the reasons that she mentioned. Not only are my, you know, my rents higher, significantly more than it used to be, my laboratory costs, my medical costs, like as far as medicines that I have to purchase, but also the services that veterinarians can now provide, and the services that pet owners are expecting and wanting for their pets is so much more technologically advanced than it was even 5 years ago.

JEYAN: What do you mean by that?

DR. CLIFF: Well, like, every single animal hospital has to have a X-ray machine, and now you better have a digital X-ray machine and you better be able to read it really, really quickly. I only have a two veterinarian hospital. I've got a digital X-ray machine. I now have an ultrasound, because we're doing urgent care to try and remove some of the burden on emergency hospitals, in-house blood machine. The types of surgeries that are being done are much more elevated in technique. And then last but not least, you know, the economy, everything's gone up in price. So, for me to be able to keep my team happy, I have to pay them, thank goodness, what they're worth. They're amazing. So, I have to pay them more, and they've-- I've been able to give them raises, you know, far beyond, let's say, inflation because they deserve it, and unfortunately all these things increase-- increase the bottom line.

JAYAN: What advice uh would you give to pet owners to reduce the costs of vet care?

DR. CLIFF: You know, there's sort of the long-term thing you have to look at, which is sticking with the wellness visits and the preventative care, proper food, regular vet visits, but if you do have an emergency, you do have to triage it. And the big thing is be honest with your veterinarian. Be honest upfront and say, "Hey, I've got some concerns." Ask for a quote right at the beginning. Recognize that my job is to give you the best that I think is for your pet. I'm not going to make assumptions based on your financial ability, but if you can't afford it, it is then my job to work with you and see if we can reasonably cut corners, which may be discounts, payment plans. In the beginning, try and get pet insurance, and then in Ontario, there's a great organization called the Farley Foundation put on by the OVMA, which is basically a charity that helps cover emergency services for people on disability and other government support. So, and you do not have to be an OVMA member as a veterinarian clinic to access some of those funds. So, people just have to speak up. I understand it can be maybe embarrassing for them, but then also veterinarians, like myself, need to work with people and-- and see what we can do to keep those families together, keep those pets healthy, and minimize that-- that sort of strain on the SPCA, and we're all in this together. So, we just got to work together.