As the housing crisis puts more pressure on renters across the country, South Australian animal rescues are also facing a growing problem. Crisis charities say a lack of pet friendly private rentals is forcing people to surrender animals out of desperation.
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00:00 This is the moment Kerry was reunited with her three dogs after more than 13 months of
00:07 homelessness and five years without stable housing. They'd been in foster care and at
00:15 her lowest point she'd even tried to surrender the trio.
00:18 I just said I'm going to have to give the dogs that because we're not going to get a
00:25 house with them.
00:27 Fortunately she has finally secured a house where she can live with Zooka, Sheba and Jasper.
00:33 But as Adelaide vacancy rates drop below 1% while rents skyrocket, there's a dwindling
00:39 number of pet-friendly dwellings available, putting animal rescue organisations on the
00:44 front line of the housing crisis.
00:48 The Animal Welfare League's two Adelaide shelters are above capacity.
00:52 We've seen roughly a 32% increase of people needing to re-home their dogs year on year.
00:57 So overwhelmingly people are telling us that the housing crisis is causing this.
01:01 At the same time, adoption rates are falling while people aren't recovering their strays.
01:07 Typically people will come and reclaim them but we've seen a 9% decrease.
01:14 Crisis charity Safe Pets Safe Families provides foster care for dogs but it's also been overwhelmed.
01:20 It's heartbreaking, especially when you do get a phone call and, oh it's going to make
01:25 me cry, a phone call of when you know that their pet is everything to them.
01:30 Kerry was one of the lucky owners but experts say without more social housing it's a problem
01:36 that won't go away.
01:38 [dog barking]
01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]