The adopted family members being dumped in hard times
Baz is looking for love and is open to meeting both men and women.
Having recently broken up with a woman, his online profile describes him as a small but adventurous, cute and cheeky guy.
“Baz has such a big heart and an even bigger determination to keep going,” he says.
The eight-week-old ragdoll kitten currently lives at Second Chance Animal Rescue in Melbourne.
“The owner surrendered because he was facing a crisis and couldn’t provide them with the care they needed,” says Marisa Debattista, the shelter’s founder.
“It was a sad situation; he didn’t want to hand her over but he had no choice.
“Times are definitely tougher than last year,” Ms. Debattista adds.
He needed to find $200,000 to keep the lights on in 2025, but thanks to the kindness, or rather donations, of strangers, he survived to fight another day.
However, Second Chance, which has rehomed 17,000 animals and provided more than a million pet meals, has reached its lowest point since opening its doors nearly 20 years ago.
Ms. Debattista says donations to animal shelters are inadequate in federal and state budgets, and donations to charities are declining in an environment where cost-of-living pressures are crushing.
At the same time, birth rates are at record lows because raising children is so expensive.
Researchers say it’s a fact that has changed the course of many Australians.
Long gone are the days when dogs were considered working animals, according to a study commissioned by pet supplement manufacturer ZamiPet; 93 percent of dog owners now consider man’s best friend a family member.
However, animal rights advocates say that completing the financial burden of giving birth to a child by caring for a pet is not a direct gain.
In fact, caring for pets has also become expensive.
Ms. Debattista estimates that 80 percent of the animals that enter Second Chance are surrendered because their owners are in financial crisis.
A similar situation is occurring in NSW.
“Housing and cost of living pressures remain key barriers to keeping people and pets together,” says a spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“Currently one in three surrenders at RSPCA NSW are due to housing or financial pressures.”
The RSPCA’s nationwide research highlights how pets carry the burden in places where money is tight.
According to research, one in three Australians are delaying veterinary care for their pets because they can’t afford it; One in five are not at all confident they can afford unexpected emergency care costs.
This happened in a South Australian court on Thursday, where a 49-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man were found guilty of 24 counts of animal cruelty.
The decision was made after RSPCA inspectors executed a search warrant at their property and found a number of cats with eye infections and evidence of others rubbing them.
“When the female defendant arrived she stated that the property had been in an unhealthy state for a month and that she had received help to clean the house,” the RSPCA said.
“He also stated that the three kittens had been unwell for several months and that although he had not made a veterinary appointment, he planned to take them and the sick cats to the vet that day.”
The cost burden of going to the vet is such that we even see major banks and government agencies issue public warnings about pet ownership.
The Commonwealth Bank estimates it costs $3218 a year to own a dog and $1715 to own a cat, while the government’s Moneysmart site calculates $2520 and $1656.
Adam Guest, CEO and co-founder of Raw and Fresh, makes pet diet products and says he hasn’t raised prices in two years to keep customer costs low.
“There’s still a lot of ‘cowboying’ going on in the pet food industry,” he told AAP.
“What I mean by that is, they give it the impression that they’re offering a high-quality product on a human level, but it turns out it’s so far from funny.”
Mr. Guest also donates hundreds of meals to struggling pet shelters each week.
One recipient was Pound Patrol Rescue in Sydney’s west, where founder Lisa Younes said food costs had skyrocketed from $800 a week to more than $2500.
This situation has been exacerbated by the increase in the number of abandoned and lost animals taken.
It’s the perfect storm that pushes everything to the brink.
“Pound Patrol is in financial crisis,” the shelter’s Instagram page said in March.
“Our bank account is empty, we are saddled with vet bills, rent (our rent has gone up a lot), food and medication for our furry friends.”
Mr Guest’s generosity has been a lifeline, but it may not be enough.
It’s a pattern repeated across the country.
At the Animal Welfare League in Queensland, the number of rescues has increased by almost 12,000 in five years.
“Rehoming a dog can cost us $5,000 when it comes to caring for that animal,” says manager Melinda Phipps.
This is a stark reminder for those who like Baz.
His big heart comes with a price.
