Nine-year-old kelpie Magenta has been on the hunt for a new home for more than 800 days.
She has been in the care of RSPCA NSW after being "neglected at her previous home".
"We want to make sure each animal goes to the right home, not just the first home," Kieran Watson from RSPCA NSW said.
Magenta is just one of more than 27,000 animals across the country that will be in the care of the RSPCA over Christmas.
Shelters in NSW and Victoria have reported an influx of surrendered animals, although the reasons vary.
Mr Watson said, in NSW, some people were giving up their pets because their rental property would not allow it.
But in a tight housing market, people do not have much of a choice.
"Unfortunately, they have to give up their pets for the sake of having a roof over their heads, which is really sad," he said.
'Our animal shelters are full'
Further south, Victorians adopted pets from the RSPCA in record numbers during the height of COVID restrictions.
But the tide has turned, and the pets are coming back.
RSPCA Victoria's Nadia Peiris said lifestyle changes after the end of COVID lockdowns and the cost-of-living crisis had created a perfect storm of more people needing to surrender pets.
"Our animal shelters are full — the last thing we need are more unwanted pets," she said.
Mr Watson said, in his experience, the surrendering of pets had largely been "for the right reasons".
"Not because they've bought an unwanted gift or they got a dog over COVID and they just don't want it anymore, we're not necessarily seeing that," he said.
"We are seeing people giving their animals up because they actually care about them, which I guess is more heartbreaking."
With Christmas approaching — typically a busy time for surrendering animals to shelters — there are fears the problem could worsen.
The President of Dogs Australia Hugh Gent said people should "think twice" before giving a "time-intensive and long-term commitment" Christmas present like a dog.
"Puppies can't be exchanged, returned, or put in the cupboard if the Christmas present isn't the right fit," Mr Gent said.
Desperate for carers
Ms Peiris said RSPCA Victoria was "desperate" for foster carers, who could take pets out of shelters short term to care for them to alleviate the pressure.
"A shelter is no place for an animal," she said.
"An animal being able to spend their time in a home environment is going to be much better for their stress levels."
Ms Peiris said the RSPCA had begun small classes on pet care, especially in the area of behavioural management, to help up skill and instil more confidence in foster carers.
Pet foster carer Jaki Burman said she was initially worried she would not be able to give the cats and kittens she was looking after back to the RSPCA or new owners.
"[But] you know that they're not for you — I don't know how to explain that, but you just get the feeling that the cat's not yours," she said.
Ms Burman said it had been useful in teaching her children about loss and preparing them for the idea that animals were not around forever.
"We have had really tiny [kittens] that we've lost, which was a possibility our kids really had to learn," she said.
Keiran Watson agreed fostering was a great contribution by those who could not commit to adopting longer term.
"If you've got the time and the space, not just in your yard but in your heart, please consider our older animals this Christmas as well," he said.
