The cost of living crisis has led to a spike in pets surrendered to RSPCA shelters as owners struggle to make ends meet.

The animal welfare group says there was an 18 per cent year-on-year lift in surrenders for the month of August.

“The other alarming piece in that is we’re seeing our expressions of interest for adopting also fall in the other direction,” RSPCA Qld CEO Darren Maier told Mark Levy.

“There is no doubt that the cost of living is having a bite, pardon the pun.”

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