₦airaland Forum

Preye Maxwell looks distressed as he leaves his beloved dog Hanks at an animal shelter in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub.

Fighting back tears, he says: "I can't afford to take care of him. I can't afford to feed him the way he should be fed."

His two-year old American Eskimo barks as his owner turns his back and walks out of the St Mark's Animal Rescue Foundation in the Lagos suburb of Ajah.

Dr Mark Afua, a vet and chairman of the rescue centre, takes Hanks and puts him in a big metal cage - one of many in the single-storey building designed for dogs, cats, snakes and other animals.

Hanks wheels around in circles in his cage - and Dr Afua tries to calm the distressed fluffy-haired dog.

Mr Maxwell, an online media strategist, was recently made redundant. His job-hunting means he is never at home and so feels unable to look after Hanks.

"I'm trying to get whatever I have to do to survive. I don't even have the time now [to look after Hanks] because I'm always out looking for jobs," he told the BBC.

The 33-year-old's decision was difficult to make, but it is one that many pet owners are taking in the face of the rising cost of living in Nigeria.

Africa's most-populous nation has been hit by high inflation since President Bola Tinubu came to power two years ago and removed a long-standing fuel subsidy.

The inflation rate surged from 22% in May 2023 to 35% in December 2024, a 28-year high, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS.)

Inflation has since fallen back to 24% but this means that prices are still continuing to rise, just not as quickly as before.

The economic crunch has meant that some companies have had to downsize to keep afloat in the face of rising operating costs, pushing young people like Mr Maxwell into an already saturated labour market.

Animal rights activists and animal shelters say that they are seeing an unprecedented numbers of abandoned animals as the cost of looking after pets spirals out of control.

Prices for pet food and veterinary care have jumped by more 100% as some things, especially medication, are imported - and the local currency has plummeted against the dollar.

"About 10 years ago when we started this project, we really didn't have people giving up their dogs because they were unable to feed the dogs," Dr Afua told the BBC.

"Right now, we have 10, 12 animals being dropped in a month.

Some, like Mr Maxwell, hand their pets over to a shelter for adoption but others simply abandon their animals.

Animal cruelty campaigner Jackie Idimogu, who is president of My Dog and I - a dog-lovers' community in Lagos who often helps to rehome pets, says she has noticed the change.

"Now they don't even have that patience [to find new owners]. They just tie the dog out to a post on the road or they just unleash it on the road," she told the BBC.

The 32-year-old says more that 50% of her income as a furniture maker and interior designer now goes on looking after her four dogs.

"I'm spending roughly 250,000 naira ($158; £117) every month on pets," she says, adding that this includes someone to walk the dogs and look after them when she was not around.

But Ms Idimogu says she cannot bear to give them up.

"As a single lady, I have no kids of my own yet. My dogs are my babies. I don't see any difference between myself as a dog mum and a human mum. I don't think I have it in me to give up any of my babies for any reason whatsoever."

Instead, she has chosen to adapt her lifestyle - fewer luxuries for herself like jewellery, expensive hair styles and spa visits and fewer treats for her pets like chicken, yoghurt treats and car rides.

"I used to be flashy, but now I had to tone down because of my dogs."

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8nkr3yp88o.amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcy8nkr3yp88o

Enyan ori ohunje je, aja ati ologbo fe ma jehun.

How person wey never chop want take feed pets

Abegii

The government is evil. There is no doubt about it.

But let's be real here. Those who spend wisely can get pets without abandoning the pets this period. The type that borrow money to buy cars or rent apartments in estates are definitely the ones abandoning their pets right now. Wise spenders will not go for pets when 1 or 5% of their savings (savings, not even income) is less than the cost of keeping the pets.

As a matter of fact, when did these people get these their pets? It is even clearly stated in the post that one of them was using 50% of her income to feed the pets. If someone spends 50% of his or her income on feeding pets, imagine how much the person spends in paying rent before talking about feeding and clothing oneself. I am not even talking about whether the person considers taking care of his or her relatives or not. The person probably cares about only himself or herself and dogs. And as the case may be, tell me why such a person will not remain a wretched tenant for life. It might even be that they didn't have the pets before 2016.

Save your self from stress by getting an ekuke,they feed on garbage and waste hence saving you money and time.

Our beloved ekukes are also good for security than the overfed,ajebutter foreign dogs.

Pet feeding is not easy o.

Naa you no wann buy Ekuke

Monkey see monkey do. The best place to site such shelter is Calabar.

Opposition no get work again

Pet ke?

Lol. Use your pet to create contents and cash out from it.
My pet kitten has IG account

Same in USA.

Well done Ebola

We need his brain and not his body

At this rate even pets will join the #back to Bourdillon 2027 mantra

CodeTemplarr:
Monkey see monkey do. The best place to site such shelter is Calabar.

Hmmm, I see your point. Protein is protein
It'll actually be a win-win situation:
"You can't afford to keep your pets, I want to eat them." You can actually make some money.
Why don't we think of these things

EpicDude123:
Dog wey you for chop take help yourself

Calabarian spotted!😆

Some pets are even lucky for not being used for pepper soup. The hunger reach everywhere and everybody....no be pets alone

Dog wey you for chop take help yourself

LordBiden:
Save your self from stress by getting an ekuke,they feed on garbage and waste hence saving you money and time.

Our beloved ekukes are also good for security than the overfed,ajebutter foreign dogs.

Pure German Shepherd never bark for you once, you go shit for body as you dey feel the vibration of the bark inside your heart

hmm

Nigeria's economy has been utterly battered and destroyed by the APC

When I was growing up we use to have between 3 to 6 dogs in our house at any point in time because my dad loved dogs. I doubt if it would have been the same now considering the state of the economy. I don't blame people giving up their dogs because it is better to give them up for better care elsewhere instead of them suffering with you. I can imagine how hard such a decision will be to take. You won't understand until you have spent time with dogs and bonded with them. It is like letting a part of you go.

Hungry people having pets. Only in Nigeria.

Ati sin aja oyinbo ko easy if u are not a pet lover.. during the time when my Caucasian is still a puppy, I feed her two eggs and well feed than me at times.
But when family join, omoo responsibility garaa. Nle waku

Even animals are feeling the pains and heat of APC

LordBiden:
Save your self from stress by getting an ekuke,they feed on garbage and waste hence saving you money and time.

Our beloved ekukes are also good for security than the overfed,ajebutter foreign dogs.

You haven't met german shepherd

LordBiden:
Save your self from stress by getting an ekuke,they feed on garbage and waste hence saving you money and time.

Our beloved ekukes are also good for security than the overfed,ajebutter foreign dogs.

You never jam pure breed German shepard. The dog bark inside cage I took to my heels. Dem dey talk say cage is locked cage is locked. I run like say I come thief for there.

Also if you see boerboel dog breed. You'll shit your pants. This one I no even fit talk. See as the head big.

Those dogs go chop ekuke

If you can’t take care of a pet, please don’t own one

It’s evil and a crime against the universe to keep an animal and make them go through pain

Your prayers won’t be answered, things won’t go well with you, energy will fight against your peace

Chai

I can't feed myself please where is human rescue center?
I need somebody to adopt me

Lol