Owning a pet is now more expensive than ever. According to Rover, a Canadian online pet care service,in a blog post about rising costs, dog owners are facing 18 per cent higher costs this year compared to 2024 and cat owners paying 41 per cent more than last year.

As a result, there's greater demand to animal welfare agencies like the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) for more affordable veterinary care, spaying and neutering and pet food. A shortage of veterinarians and vet techs, rising pet insurance rates and the growing trend of corporations buying up smaller, independent vet clinics has created a perfect storm for pet owners.

The rising costs of pet ownership is causing a trickle-down effect of more surrendered animals to shelters or simply abandoned pets. CanoeFM spoke with pet owners, a rescue center and a spokesperson from the Ontario SPCA to learn how the rising cost of owning a pet is impacting everyone who cares about and for animals.