Paws for concern: Why has pet ownership become so expensive?

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How much is that doggie in the window?
The one with the waggly tail
How much is that doggie in the window?
I do hope that doggie’s for sale

When the late Patti Page first sang that cute chartbuster in the 1950s, it conjured up wholesome images of kids cuddling up in front of the fire with a new pet.

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Petflation was no doubt the furthest thing from Page’s mind.

But make no mistake. Pet ownership in Canada is fast becoming a luxury item.

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According to Statistics Canada, there are 28 million pets in the country.

A March report by Rover.com, a website specializing in pet care services, showed that the average Canadian pet owner is spending $210 monthly on care of their animals, up from $140 in 2023.

That’s $2,500 annually: roughly the amount a Canadian family spends on groceries every two months or slightly more than the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Ottawa.
Naturally, it is creating anxiety among pet owners.

In a community engagement survey conducted last July-September, the Ottawa Humane Society found that 52 per cent of 3,000 respondents said cost is the biggest concern. Treating older and/or sick dogs and cats was too much for many.

“What we’re seeing is a wave of folks returning dogs to us, facing the difficult decision to give them up,” said OHS communications director Stephen Smith.

What’s fuelling the big cost increase?

It’s a combination of increased adoption prices, pet food and medicine, along with a rise in veterinarian services, an industry suffering from labour shortages and burnout.

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When COVID-19 hit and forced many of us to work at home, the number of folks looking for a dog boomed.

For breeders of purebreds, it was a gold mine because demand outpaced the supply.

“There weren’t enough dogs,” said Dr. Tim Arthur, president-elect of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). “For (the breeders), it was like, ’10 people want my puppy’. And present society has changed. More people want purebreds, rather than mixed breeds, like previous generations.”

Arthur, 65, has spent his life in the business and now works part-time with two practices in Ottawa.

He says people’s attitudes towards pets have changed — “they’re now considered part of the family” — and breeders are “testing the boundaries” of the marketplace.

What are the initial costs of pet ownership?

“Some of the prices, I consider to be ridiculous, but people are paying it,” Arthur said.

Indeed, a quick scan of puppy prices on Kijiji: French bulldogs are $2,900; Golden Doodles, Chihuahuas and mini Schnauzers are going for $1,500; Yorkshire Terriers are between $1,000-$1,250; and English Labradors for $800. A Jack Russell can be had for $350 and a Bullmastiff-boxer mix for $200.

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Cat prices aren’t quite as high. Bengal kittens range from $1,000-$1,500; Persians are $450-$800; and Siberians are $700 and above. It is possible to find mixed breeds for less than $100 (some even free), but keep in mind that most haven’t been spayed and neutered or vaccinated.

According to an OHS study, the average cost of a full range of start-up services for pets (including parasite and disease screening, microchip and behavioural assessments) at a private vet clinic is $1,340 for dogs and $1,347 for cats.

Protecting against heartworm and ticks — particularly in southern Ontario — is a bigger issue than in the past.

At the Ottawa Humane Society, which will spay and neuter every animal as well as provide necessary vaccinations, the cost of cat adoption is $225 ($315 for kittens) and $400 for dogs ($495 for puppies). That is unless folks are willing to adopt older cats to live out their golden years, in which case OHS dropped the adoption fee altogether.

On top of all that, there has been a rapid escalation in the price of pet food. According to a January report from PetBusinessProfessor. Com, food has jumped 20.9 from 2021 and 26.1 per cent since 2019.

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How does a vet shortage lead to higher costs?

In March, CVMA leaders went to Parliament Hill, pleading for more federal help for the industry.

“We’re in a degree of trouble,” said Arthur. “There is not enough labour to do the job that society is asking us to do.”

While the population of Canada has increased from 34 million to 39 million since 2010, the number of vets has stayed the same.

According to the CVMA, there were 14,158 vets in Canada at the end of 2023, helping care for 28 million pets.

Of that number, 2,049 vets were working in schools; labs; or with pharmaceutical, consulting or non-profit organizations.

The staffing shortage also extends to pet nurses — vet technicians and vet technologists.

Older veterinarians are overworked and suffering burnout because they can’t keep up with the demand.

Labour costs are up and so, too, is the cost of the X-ray equipment and animal medicine.

“Either I have to work more hours, or turn people away,” said Arthur. “There’s nothing harder for a vet than to tell people with a sick animal that they have to go away.”

It’s not for a lack of interest from young vet wannabes. It’s about the bottleneck for those lining up to get into one of only five training schools in the country.

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For many, the best option is to head overseas to study.

One short-term answer to fill the void is to bring in internationally-trained veterans.

The problem, however, is that they need to be certified in Canada. Saskatoon’s Western College is the only school which provides the hands-on, three-day test. Arthur says 45 vets receive their Canadian license each year, but another 100 are on a waiting list.

Accordingly, the CVMA is pleading for government help to provide more funds for schools to train vets faster.

“Everybody is running deficits, but there has to be a federal, provincial and private (industry) negotiation,” said Arthur. “But who takes the first step?”

Beyond the concern about pet ownership is the fact that vets for “production animals” — including horses, cows and sheep — are also in short supply.

The demand for vets is higher in rural and northern communities.

“That’s a huge area of concern for the country,” said Arthur. “We need that system to work.”

How can pet owners keep costs down?

Arthur recognizes that as times have changed, the attitude towards household animals has also been altered.

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The days when dogs lived in the backyard and caught a rabbit for supper are all but gone.

“You liked the dog, and maybe you took him to the vet when he was sick, but it’s different now,” said Arthur. “With the change in society, people say they want their sick cat treated the same way as they would treat their (sick) daughter.”

It’s a higher standard, with the increased costs associated with that care.

Over time, Arthur says, the vet industry has pushed young vets into a “spectrum of care” philosophy, a gold-standard type of treatment where nothing unusual or complicated is missed.

In some cases, he suggests pet owners should be offered a larger range of possible treatments to cut down on costs.

“If you go to five different clinics, you’re going to get five different prices,” he said. “But if at one place, you get a price for cleaning teeth and the place down the street is offering that for half the price, something is probably not being done. It is a buyer beware, but pet owners should ask questions. Maybe there’s a Plan B.”

Some clinics also sell “wellness packages” that could include as many visits as possible.

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Yet another option is pet insurance, which could protect pet owners from the expense of a major surgery.

“There’s a different attitude in Europe from North America,” Arthur said. “Some companies include pet insurance as part of a benefits package.”

However, that is certainly a luxury for many pet owners. The Ottawa Humane Society has seen a sharp rise in those using the Emergency Pet Food Bank, which works with the Ottawa Food Bank.

The Humane Society also suggests there are options for adoption beyond cats and dogs. In particular, rabbits.

“In 2020 (during COVID-19), people went dog crazy,” said Smith. “Folks couldn’t find dogs or afford to spend $2,000 on a dog. So they decided on purchasing rabbits, whether it was on Kijiji or (Facebook) Marketplace.”

Many of them, however, weren’t spayed or neutered.

“The rabbits did what rabbits do and big litters would come back to us,” Smith said.

Smith ensures that all the remaining rabbits, which live best in pairs, are spayed or neutered.

kwarren@postmedia.com
X: Citizenkwarren

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