Breakdown of places pets were acquired Australia 2023

A 2023 survey on acquiring pets in Australia revealed that nearly 30 percent of respondents adopted their pets from an animal shelter. Meanwhile, approximately 43.9 percent purchased their pets from a breeder. Other acquisition channels included receiving pets as gifts or through an adoption agency.

Pet ownership in Australia

With one of the world’s highest pet ownership rates, Australia was home to approximately 30 million pets as of 2021. As for the choice of pets, dogs and cats remained the most common domestic pets across the nation, with at least one pet on average per household. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the country also saw a boom in the number of pets adopted, most likely for extra emotional support during mandatory lockdowns.

Everything for a furry companion

However, with great pleasure comes great responsibility. Pet ownership is a life-time commitment, which entails lifelong provision of basic needs, including housing, food, medical care, and plenty of love. While the pet adoption frenzy since the coronavirus outbreak brings great joy to many households and their new furry addition to the family, it also sparks a concern that these pets might be later abandoned because of certain financial burdens, often aggravated by the pandemic. On the other hand, COVID-19-induced lockdowns and the lack of socialization with four-legged fellows may cause behavioral issues in pets, which consequently might force owners to surrender their pets to animal shelters.