‘People don’t want to think about it’: Pet animal shelters near crisis point

Victorians are being urged to consider the long-term realities of owning a pet as the state’s shelters continue to struggle with surrenders and euthanasia rates continue to rise.

Between October and December, RSPCA Victoria triaged more than 720 inquiries from people requesting support or information about surrendering their cats or dogs. Some 73 pets arrived at RSPCA-run shelters, while 251 more animals were referred to council shelters or local rescue groups during the three-month period.

Shelter staff said that before Christmas, which is a busy time for surrenders, they were at capacity and unable to take any more animals in.

“It’s a sad reality at this point that that’s where we’re at. Rescues are full. Shelters are full,” said Jess Mogielski, a volunteer with Starting Over Dog Rescue.

In late December, Mogielski took in a heavily pregnant Staffordshire bull terrier named Peridot, who became homeless after her owner died. With the man’s extended family unable to care for her, a flurry of phone calls were quickly made to animal shelters and council pounds across the state.

Though most were unsuccessful, a temporary foster home was found with Mogielski, a former veterinary assistant, and on Christmas Eve, Peridot gave birth to a litter of puppies.

In 2024, 11,223 dogs were admitted to shelters and pounds across Victoria and not reclaimed by their owners, according to the state government’s latest data.

Animal shelters are usually owned by animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, while pounds are generally operated by a local council – either directly or by a contractor on their behalf. These facilities also care for dogs and cats who are lost, injured or stray.

Other organisations, including Starting Over, do not operate a physical shelter, but volunteers keep animals at their homes until an owner is found. In 2025, Starting Over reported taking in more than 1500 dogs and about 300 puppies born to dogs while being fostered.

Having volunteered and worked with various animal welfare organisations for almost 15 years, Mogielski said pets being surrendered or abandoned by their owners had been a hidden issue for a long time.

“A lot of people don’t want to think about it … most normal people, they don’t understand the problem. They don’t see it,” she said.

While Peridot and her six puppies will now be well cared for by Mogielski until they are ready for adoption, most dogs who are surrendered or abandoned find themselves in a shelter or a pound.

And even for successful fosters, the road to a permanent home is long. At six weeks old, the puppies will begin to be weaned. By eight weeks, they will be able to live independently, and mandatory medical work will be completed before they and their mother are all listed for adoption.

Though the total number of dogs being surrendered nationally has decreased in recent years, the number of euthanisations has increased since 2020.

Across all Victorian facilities, more than 3000 dogs were euthanised in 2024, according to state government data, which shows the majority of dogs were put down due to behavioral concerns, with the next most common reason being unsuitability for sale.

A facility is authorised to euthanise an animal for a range of reasons including age, unsuitability for sale and being unweaned or orphaned.

The North Melbourne Lost Dogs Home’s Melissa McCarthy said there was never a good or bad time to adopt but “what matters most is being ready for the costs and the changes to your daily life that come with it”.

“When people surrender their pets, they reason they give is: ‘no longer willing or able to look after them’. That can mean all sorts of things, but we commonly hear it’s because of money pressures or the pet, that was initially wanted, no longer fits with their lifestyle,” McCarthy said.

According to the most recent Pets in Australia report, the first year of owning a dog costs an average of $4000 and about $2520 each year after, while the annual cost for a cat is about $1656.

“Rehoming an animal is often a last resort for many pet owners, and can be incredibly heartbreaking for them … Unfortunately, when families are struggling, their pets are often affected too,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.

Although only four years old, Peridot will likely find it the most difficult to find a permanent home because adopters tend to seek out younger animals.

But for now, she and her puppies will stay with Mogielski, who is also fostering three other adult dogs, and has four of her own.

“We do our best to squeeze them all in,” she said. “It’s worth it in the end. I won’t stop, ever. I enjoy it too much.”

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