Ann Wason Moore says pet owners are having to make tough decisions because of cost-of-living

Pets are often part of the family but there is a growing trend that is forcing Aussies to make a heartbreaking call.

Columnist Ann Wason Moore's dog Sparky is a regular at the vets

Vet bills are the ultimate pet hate. While we thankfully seem to be past the peak of pandemic puppy prices, where some breeds cost upwards of $10,000, anyone who owns an animal knows that’s only the beginning of pet expenses.

Now, having a dog or cat is not a right but a privilege, but surely it should be one that is not enjoyed exclusively by the rich.

Yet in this cost of living crisis, too many are struggling with the cost of keeping their animals alive.

Around Australia, the housing crisis has been a heartbreaking trend of a spike of pets being abandoned or surrendered because their owners could no longer afford their upkeep or were forced to move to premises that did not allow pets.

One AWLQ shelter has been struggling to house these surrendered fur babies, with communications manager Caroline Esera admitting that not only were the shelters full, but there was a 100-plus strong waitlist of animals needing to be surrendered.

But even if you can afford to house and feed your animals, can you afford to keep them healthy?

Columnist Ann Wason Moore's dog Sparky is a regular at the vets and convicted pantry thief

Every visit to the vet is an exercise in bill shock, and now many owners are choosing ‘economic euthanasia’.

Research by Canine Journal showed that nearly half of dog owners said they would consider putting down their pets if they were diagnosed with a condition requiring costly treatment.

With no Medicare for pets and rising vet costs, owners have two choices: pay or they die.

It might sound heartless, but animal surgery or ongoing treatment can cost thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars

And that’s where pet insurance comes to the rescue … or so owners are promised.

Ten years ago when Sparky the puppy joined our family, I was told in no uncertain terms that pet insurance was imperative if owning a Labrador.

It wasn’t long before it paid for itself. Not only did Sparky somehow contract the parasitic infection Giardia, he also managed to paralyse his back legs after he broke into the pantry and ate a bag of macadamia nuts, the only nuts that are toxic to dogs.

He also ate/drank fabric softener, my tax return, countless school socks, part of the barbecue, two dozen double-choc hot cross buns and a packet of straight cocoa powder.

Fortunately, after those first few years, his appetite calmed down to just stealing food off the table regularly, and we have not filed a claim in years.

Due to the constant flow of bills and direct debits from my account, I never took specific notice of the monthly fee from our insurer.

Columnist Ann Wason Moore's dog Sparky is a regular at the vets - here he is taking care of their paperwork

I knew it had steadily increased, but hasn’t everything?

And while I wondered whether we still needed it, I figured better to be safe than sorry … for Sparky’s sake.

But this week, a friend asked me how much we paid for our insurance, and I nearly needed to be hospitalised myself.

The cost of pet insurance for our 10-year-old Labrador is now more than half of what it costs for private health insurance for our human family of four.

Incensed, I rang the insurer, Petcover and asked WTF, but in more polite terms.

The people I spoke to were more than apologetic and promised to apply a 15 per cent discount to our next monthly premium. Friends, that figure was, incredibly, $5 more than we currently pay. Which means our next premium was set to rise by more than 15 per cent.

You better believe this Karen asked to speak to a manager. Again, they were apologetic and explained that previous claims and the dog’s age could factor into the rising costs … but we haven’t claimed in years and, yes, our dog is a senior now, but a 15-20 per cent increase?

So we cancelled and have now insured Sparks for a fraction of what we were paying – literally less than a quarter.

But we were lucky that he has no pre-existing conditions, if he did we would be stuck.

Fortunately, he’s still covered for most of the big stuff and given what he’s put himself through already, I’m confident he’ll make old bones.

But I’m hoping that, somehow, the way this pet industry is structured will not survive.

Veterinarians deserve to make a living, and insurers have to make a profit to continue, but surely there is a way to keep these costs in check. and to keep our fur babies not just alive but able to thrive.

Columnist Ann Wason Moore's dog Sparky is a regular at the vets

Originally published as Ann Wason Moore says pet owners are having to make tough decisions because of cost-of-living