Most aged care facilities don’t allow residents to keep their pets, despite 96 per cent of Australians believing they should be able to.
This is according to new research from Companion Animal Network Australia’s (CANA) 2025 Pet Friendly Aged Care Survey, with Trish Ennis, CEO of CANA, saying the findings highlight a persistent gap between public attitudes and aged care policy.
“The emotional harm of being forced to give up a beloved animal is profound. Older Australians shouldn’t have to choose between care and companionship.”
The survey found that 78 per cent of respondents believe pets improve mental and physical health in aged care, and 86 per cent say pets in these settings are “vitally important”. Yet, external data shows only 18 per cent of aged care facilities allow residents to have pets.
“From our survey, half of all facilities rated themselves low on pet-friendliness, and 23 per cent have formal pet policies in place. Both facilities and residents understand how important pets are to health and happiness, but the sector still struggles to turn that understanding into action.”
The survey also found that older adults living at home continue to face major barriers to caring for their pets. Among 325 respondents receiving government-funded Home Care Packages, only 9 per cent said their provider offered any pet care services.
The most requested support included emergency fostering (91 per cent), dog walking (64 per cent) and help taking pets to the vet (59 per cent). Alarmingly, 22 per cent of respondents said they had delayed their own medical care because they lacked someone to look after their pet.
“The Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Home Care Packages should include provisions for pet care to help people stay healthy and at home for longer and to prevent animals from being euthanised or surrendered to shelters.”
Aged care providers cited a lack of education (45 per cent), resources (42 per cent) and funding for facility design changes (45 per cent) as key barriers to becoming more pet-friendly.
“Education and understanding are key. Facilities that welcome pets see happier residents, stronger family connections and greater community interest. It’s not just good welfare – it’s good business,” said Ennis.
CANA’s Pet Friendly Aged Care initiative offers resources such as sample policies and best-practice guidelines to help aged care providers support residents with pets.
“As our population ages, keeping people and pets together is an essential part of maintaining both physical and mental health.
“The evidence is clear – pets are good for people. Now it’s time for aged care to catch up,” said Ennis.
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