OneDegree raises awareness of pet abandonment amid rising vet costs

Local digital insurer OneDegree has teamed up with YouTube channel "Mill MILK” to raise awareness of the growing issue of pet abandonment due to rising veterinary costs. 

This comes after the abandonment linked to rising pet medical expenses. OneDegree has cited a report by Euromonitor, noting that Hong Kong had 304,000 dogs and 280,000 cats in 2023, a significant increase compared to figures published by the Hong Kong government's statistics department in 2019.

Meanwhile, the number of abandoned pets has also been increasing. OneDegree has referenced figures from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Hong Kong, which reported that a total of 1,885 animals were abandoned from January 2023 to January 2024—1.8 times higher than the 679 animals reported during the 2016 to 2017 period.

In recent years, there has also been a rise in pets being abandoned directly at veterinary clinics, closely linked to increasing medical expenses. According to OneDegree's internal claims records, average pet medical costs in 2024 increased by 10.9% from HK$2,189 in 2023 to HK$2,428. Cat medical expenses rose by 15% from HK$2,020 to HK$2,323, while dog costs increased by 7.8% from HK$2,352 to HK$2,536.

Comparing the first half of 2024 to the full year of 2023, all pet medical expenses have inflated by amounts ranging from nearly 3% to almost 35%, according to OneDegree.

To remind pet owners to prepare for medical expenses and help reduce abandonment rates, OneDegree has partnered with Mill MILK to release the latest instalment of the "Seven million ways to live" (700萬種生活) series, which consistently highlights overlooked societal issues. The latest episode focuses on animal rescue.

The film features Fiona and Wayne, a couple passionate about animal rescue. They lead a typical nine-to-five work life but dedicate their post-work hours to animal rescue, including seeking medical treatment for rescued animals. They only get three to four hours of sleep per day, all for the sake of saving lives. 

In the film, Fiona said abandoned animals are getting younger, including purebred cats and dogs. This suggests that some pet owners are leaving their pets outside due to illness, forcing them to fend for themselves.

By featuring interviews with independent volunteers who care for abandoned pets, the video conveys the message that pet owners should prepare for medical expenses to help reduce abandonment rates in society.

Emily Chow, deputy chief executive of OneDegree, said: "In addition to burdening pet owners with higher medical expenses, the inflation of pet healthcare costs is also contributing to abandonment issues. As mentioned by Fiona in the interview segment with Mill MILK, some pet owners fail to fully consider the responsibilities of pet ownership before deciding to keep a pet. When faced with the high costs of medical treatment for a sick or injured pet, they may give up and abandon the animal at a medical facility, or simply abandon them on the streets to fend for themselves."

"Apart from continuously optimising the 'Pet CEO plan' to alleviate the medical burden on pet owners, OneDegree also hopes to promote messages of animal welfare and non-abandonment through this marketing campaign and previous events such as the large-scale adoption day," she added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to OneDegree for more information. 

Don't miss: OneDegree empowers working mums to seize the moment with families with new campaign

Back in last November, OneDegree partnered with local creative agency Giraffe Hong Kong again to roll out a micro movie upon the launch of its home insurance plan, encouraging working mums to seize the moments with their children.

Under the series Cherish and Love with Time (用心守護，用時間愛), the video ad captured a working mum finding difficulties in balancing her work and spending quality time with her son. In the meantime, she was troubled by the breakdown of quite a number of home appliances. The story plot transited as the mom discovered a broken TV remote control and she thought that his son broke it and scolded him. However, his son told her that he tried to fix the remote control to let her watch TV after work.

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