Keeping Pets and People Together in a Year of Rising Costs

By Charmaine Brett, President & CEO, Ontario SPCA & Humane Society 

As 2026 begins, many Ontarians are still making difficult household decisions shaped by rising
costs. For some families, one of the hardest choices has involved a beloved pet.

Last year, one evening at one of our animal centres, a U-Haul truck pulled into the parking lot.
Sitting calmly in the front seat was a German Shepherd, upright and relaxed beside the driver.
Moments later, staff came outside with leashes, preparing to bring not one, but two dogs inside.

Their names were Rogue, a German Shepherd, and Marley, a Boxer.

The couple told staff they had found the dogs as strays. But the way Rogue had ridden comfortably in the front seat suggested something else. When our centre manager gently explained that sharing any information about the dogs’ owners could help them move more quickly into adoption, the truth came out.

With tears in their eyes, the couple admitted they were Rogue and Marley’s family.
They were being forced to move after they could no longer afford their rent. They couldn’t find
housing that allowed pets, and rising costs for food and veterinary care made keeping two large
dogs impossible. Despite loving them deeply, they believed surrendering Rogue and Marley was the only way their dogs might have a stable future.

They couldn’t even afford the surrender fees.

This is what the cost-of-living crisis looks like when it reaches a family’s front door.

Pets are family. They offer companionship, routine, and comfort, especially during times of stress. But when the cost of caring for an animal rises faster than wages or social supports, families are pushed into heartbreaking decisions.

Across Ontario, we are seeing this play out every day.

In 2025, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society partnered with 57 community food banks across the province. Together, these food banks serve nearly 40,000 people each month. National data suggests that more than half of food bank users have pets.

Through these partnerships, more than 350,000 pounds of pet food were distributed last year,
enough for over 920,000 meals. Each bag of food represents a family trying to hold on.
At the same time, the cost of pet care has reset at a much higher level. Pet food prices in Canada are roughly 23 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. Veterinary care has followed a similar path, with routine services now costing 20 to 25 percent more than they did just a few years ago. While inflation has slowed, these prices have not come back down. This is the new baseline.

For families already struggling with rent, groceries, and utilities, there is no room left to absorb these increases.

The result is visible in shelters. Owner surrenders rose by more than 18 percent last year alone.
These are not cases of neglect or lack of love. They are often the result of housing instability, job loss, illness, or the simple math of a household budget that no longer adds up.

German Shepherds like Rogue are especially vulnerable in these situations. They form deep bonds with their families and can struggle with the stress of shelter life. Boxers like Marley, while often more resilient, are high-energy dogs who can quickly deteriorate without stability. Fortunately, both found loving new homes. Many are not so lucky.

This is why prevention matters.

Helping families access pet food and affordable preventive veterinary care is not just
compassionate. It works. When families receive support early, pets stay in their homes. Shelters remain less crowded. Emergency veterinary costs decrease. Communities are stronger.
This is also where solutions must take shape.

At the Ontario SPCA, we are working to be part of the solution by expanding access to affordable, community-based pet care across the province. In 2025, we operated public-facing veterinary clinics in Barrie, York, and Sudbury, providing preventive services such as spay and neuter, vaccinations, and basic wellness care to families who might otherwise go without. In 2026, we are expanding this model to new clinic locations in Thunder Bay and Durham, bringing care closer to communities where access and affordability remain significant barriers.

In several locations, we are also introducing dental services, recognizing that untreated dental
disease is one of the most common and painful conditions affecting pets, and one that often
becomes unaffordable when left unaddressed. Alongside our clinics, we are expanding mobile and community-based veterinary services, strengthening pet food partnerships with local food banks, and investing in community supports designed to help families before they reach a breaking point.

These efforts are about filling gaps, reducing pressure on shelters and emergency services, and
keeping pets where they belong, at home with the people who love them.

Pet affordability is no longer a niche concern. It is a cost-of-living issue that touches housing,
health, and community stability.

As we move further into 2026, keeping pets and people together will require sustained
commitment. Animal welfare organizations cannot do this work alone. Food banks, veterinarians, donors, policymakers, and industry all have a role to play.

No one should have to choose between feeding their family and feeding a beloved companion. No one should have to give up a pet because life became too expensive.

Keeping pets with the people who love them is not only the humane thing to do. It is practical,
preventative, and essential to the well-being of our communities.