Unable to Afford Housing Costs, Moving to Outskirts Where "Do Not Raise Pets"... Americans Giving Up Pet Ownership

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, pets are also suffering due to soaring prices in the United States. Not only groceries and housing costs but also prices of pet supplies have risen, leading to an increase in people giving up pet ownership.

According to the New York Post (NYP), the number of people surrendering pets to animal shelters in New York City increased by about 25% in the first half of this year compared to last year. The nonprofit organization Shelter Animals Count also reported that the number of pets brought to 1,050 animal shelters increased from 31,606 in January to 38,066 in June this year.

Besides New York City, NYP reported that in various parts of the U.S., including Akron in northeastern Ohio, Jacksonville and Orlando in Florida, Stockton in California, and Houston in Texas, more people are leaving their pets at shelters.

This is analyzed as an effect of the inflation crisis in the U.S., the worst in over 40 years, impacting pets as well. Last month, the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 9.1% compared to the same period last year. This is the largest increase in 41 years since 1981, surpassing even expert forecasts. By category, essential goods such as gasoline (59.9%), electricity bills (13.7%), groceries (12.2%), and clothing (5.2%) led the price increases.

In particular, the sharply increased housing costs are cited as a major reason for giving up pets. People who can no longer afford housing costs due to rent hikes or job loss have been pushed to the outskirts and moved to places that do not accept pets.

Recently, the cost of raising pets has also risen significantly, giving rise to the new term "petflation." Petflation is a compound word of "pet" and "inflation."

According to the pet industry news media Pet Age, last month, the price of pet food in the U.S. surged 10.3% year-on-year, and prices of various pet supplies also rose 9.3%. Based on the CPI, the total cost of pets increased by 7.1% from early this year to June.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimated that the annual cost of raising one dog is $1,391 (about 1.82 million KRW), and one cat costs $1,149 (about 1.5 million KRW). However, this does not include costs for dental care, grooming, medical care (neutering, microchipping, vaccinations), or pet supplies (carriers, cages, leashes, litter boxes, scratchers, brushes).

Experts say that soaring prices have increased the burden of food and housing costs, causing suffering not only for people but also for pets who cannot speak. A representative from the New York City Animal Shelter told NYP, "Owners lose jobs or can no longer afford living expenses, so they give up their pets and move. Prices for food and essential goods have all risen, and many shelters are feeling the impact of inflation. It is truly sad."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.