Poverty creates significant barriers to animal welfare, both for people keeping animals and for wild animals in low-income communities and countries.
Poverty is a major determinant of animal welfare outcomes. Low-income pet owners face impossible choices between feeding their families and paying for veterinary care. Working animals in developing countries provide critical economic services for families living on the margins - their welfare is directly connected to family livelihoods in ways that make welfare improvement inseparable from poverty alleviation. Effective low-income animal welfare programs address both animal needs and owner circumstances through subsidized care, community education, and economic development support.