Pets in Aged Care Facilities
The information is of particular relevance to the older owners of pets and the stakeholders
charged with assessing, developing, implementing and promoting pet-friendly services, including all
levels of government, aged-care service providers and animal welfare organisations.
The snapshot was prepared by Animal Welfare League Australia (AWLA), a national not-for-profit
organisation helping its six member organisations to maintain and expand their capacity to care for
more than 55,000 pets per year.
AWLA advocates for aged-care services and policies that keep older people and their pets
together for as long as it provides the best health outcomes for both the animal and their owner.
Research shows that this type of pet-friendliness:
• Increases the significant health benefits of the human-animal bond for the pet and their
elderly owner; and
• Reduces the number of animal surrenders to rehoming and impounding organisations around
Australia.
The snapshot, compiled with the assistance of The Stafford Group, provides an outline of AWLA’s
pets in aged care objective and work, lists the well-established benefits of providing pet-friendly
services to older people, examines Australia’s pet ownership rates and animal surrender trends,
describes the key challenges preventing the aged-care sector becoming more pet-friendly, and
reviews the relevant services of residential and in-home care providers.
No specific data is publicly available for companion animal surrenders in Australia as a whole.
However, the snapshot estimates elderly-related reasons are responsible for more than 6.75% of
companion animal surrenders (transfer of ownership) to AWLA’s six member organisations.
When compared with RSPCA rehoming data for cats and dogs, there is good reason to believe that
elderly-related reasons are responsible for the surrender of more than 4000 cats and dogs to
rehoming and impounding organisations every year.
accessing an aged care service or facility that is not pet-friendly, unsuitable pet accommodation at
home, inability or unwillingness of family members to care for the pet, and a lack of financial means.
Factors stopping aged-care service providers implementing initiatives that keep owners together with
their own pets include (but are not limited to) an inability to fund programs, a shortage of employees
and volunteers who are able or willing to deliver support, and workplace health and safety concerns.
The snapshot’s desktop audit of residential aged-care facilities and home-care places reveals low
rates of pet-friendliness towards pet owners:
18% of facilities consider allowing residents to keep a pet. Tasmania (35%) has the highest
percentage of facilities in this category, while Victoria and NSW have the lowest rate (14%).
22% of residential facilities allow family and friends to bring pets when they visit. Tasmania
(47%) also has the highest percentage in this category, while NSW/ACT (15%) has the lowest
rate.
33% of residential facilities have shared pets. Queensland (39%) has the highest percentage
in this category, while NSW/ACT has the lowest rate (27%).
24% of residential facilities offer a visiting pets program. Once again, Tasmania (51%) leads
the way in this category, while Western Australia (16%) has the lowest rate.
9% of in-home care providers say they offer a pet-friendly service. NSW/ACT (14%) has the
highest percentage in this category, while South Australia and Western Australia have the
lowest rate (4%)
These findings suggest an urgent need for more services and practices that keep the older person
together with their pet for as long as possible.
© Prepared by Animal Welfare League Australia and The Stafford Group
www.awla.org.au / www.petfriendlyagedcare
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