<div>Most people consider pets as part of their family, but because of inflation, many pet owners are finding it hard to maintain caring for a pet and themselves.Meridian Animal Control Supervisor Brian McCary knows it can be a tough choice to surrender a pet, and expressed the importance of trying to find good homes for all animals in the shelter.“We’ve been able to send dogs to Rhode Island, to New York, to Miami, to Tennessee, just anywhere we can plug in to get them out,” says McCary.The job is more than just finding animals their next home, it’s also giving them proper care. As Rockey Rockette of Lauderdale County Animal Control mentions, they are helping pet owners as well.“We offer low-cost spay and neuter vouchers to assist pet owners with the financial burden of getting their animals fixed. So what we want to do is be able to offer resources to community residences to help us, or help them help us,” Rockette said.Speaking of residences, local pet owner John Mimbs, says he sees a lot of stray animals at his home, and feels it’s his job to not only take care of his own pet, but to help the other animals as well.“You know it’s just hard having to keep so many, that’s the reason we keep coming up here, having to drop some off. It sucks but you got to do what you got to do,” Mimbs said.As inflation has caused prices to rise and make life more expensive, local animal shelters say there are things in place to help pet owner take care of their pets and continue to take care of themselves.</div>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

PRICE OF PETS: Inflation causing increase in animal surrenders

Most people consider pets as part of their family, but because of inflation, many pet owners are finding it hard to maintain caring for a pet and themselves. Meridian Animal Control Supervisor Brian McCary knows it can be a tough choice to surrender a pet, and expressed the importance of trying to find good homes for all animals in the shelter.