In recent years, the cost of having a pet has risen even faster than inflation in general. Average prices for pet-related goods and services went up 28 percent between June 2020 and June 2025. The cost of veterinary care went up 42 percent. Those numbers come from government data that tracks the prices of consumer goods and services.

Rescues in Minnesota have reported a surge in people giving up their pets for financial reasons.

The North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center is working to help people hold onto their animals by providing food and other supplies at no cost — and pointing them toward pet-friendly housing.

Shannon Glenn is the executive director of My Pit Bull is Family, the organization that runs the resource center. She spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about how her organization is helping pets stay with their families.