Pet ownership skyrocketed during the pandemic, with nearly one in five households adopting a pet in the pandemic’s first two years, according to The Washington Post.
At the same time, the price of pet ownership became more expensive. This can be attributed to the expense of ingredients during supply chain issues or simply corporate greed, but there’s strong evidence to suggest that pet food and pet care outpaced inflation when it came to pricing.
For example, a September 2023 piece in USA Today found that “the cost of pet food is up 25% since 2020, and vet care is now 11% more expensive than it was in 2022.” The same piece notes that, of those surveyed, “91% of people say they’ve experienced some degree of financial stress in the past year related to the cost of pet care.”
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after showing what this looks like from the pet store’s perspective.
@petspluschelsea enough of the price gouging please #ceogreed #raisetheminimumwage #fyp #kibblepricesontherise ♬ original sound – petspluschelsea
In a video with over 1.1 million views as of Saturday, TikTok user Chelsea (@petspluschelsea) documents the price of a single brand of dog food since 2020. While she says her store’s markup policy has been consistent year over year, the cost of getting the food from the supplier has substantially increased—meaning those high prices are being passed on to the consumer.
“Back in 2020, a bag of Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice, 30 pounds, was $48.99,” she says. By the end of the video, which is the present day, she says the price of the same food was $70.99—an increase of $22 in three years, or around 44.9%.
“Tell me again why we couldn’t raise the minimum wage,” Chelsea says. “Raise the minimum wage, because prices are going to go up no matter what.”
In the comments section, users shared their own experiences with inflation.
“I had to switch dog food because I simply could not afford $65 for a 23lb bag,” a user wrote.
“In 2021 I was paying $68 for Purina pro plan 48 lb bag,” another added. “That same bag now is $90 and 47 lbs.”
“It’s a damn shame for us animal lovers and for these poor animals getting sent back to shelters cause we can’t afford them anymore,” shared a third. “Breaks my heart!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Blue Buffalo via its website contact form and Chelsea via Instagram direct message.