Animal lovers will often do anything for their pets. But high inflation is forcing some to make difficult decisions when it comes to pet care. Some are even surrendering their pets to an animal shelter.

Like many pets inside St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, Deuces, a 13-year-old pit bull, is up for adoption. He wasn't rescued and he wasn't a stray. He was surrendered by his owner who fell on financial hard times.

“Animals are being retired. Not pandemic pets – a lot of people think that so many pets were being returned that were adopted during COVID. At least here, we’re not finding that to be the case. But people are giving up their pets because of financial reasons,” says Diane Ashton, director of communication for St. Hubert’s.

Inflation is putting a strain on pet owners in New Jersey and across the country. It is putting people in heartbreaking situations. But St. Hubert's says help is available through some of the shelter’s programs.

"We have emergency boarding where if someone loses their job or has a medical situation, they can bring their pet here,” Ashton says. “We can hold onto the pet, or we can put the pet in a foster home until that person is back on their feet to take their animal back."

St. Hubert’s says that it is not about trying to take the pet away from the family and put it up for adoption. The goal is to keep that pet with the family and help preserve that special bond.

“We have our food bank, which offers free pet food,” says St. Hubert’s executive director Tiffany Barro. “We also have a way to help with some medical costs. So we do the best we can to keep animals and people together.

Barrow says that she hopes pet owners who are struggling come forward and reach out to the shelter to find out more about the programs that are offered.