Wagga City Council's Glenfield Road Animal Shelter is currently full and caring for 50 dogs and cats, while the SMART Animal Sanctuary in Batlow has 50 dogs, 26 cats, two guinea pigs, two goats, a rooster and no more room to spare.

SMART founder Lorene Cross described the situation as "scary", with pressures on the rescue sector continuing to rise.

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"We're absolutely filled to the brim, we can not take any more dogs or cats at the moment," Ms Cross said.

"We've got all these animals that we're having to feed and clean ... but we're not making any money out of their adoption fees."

While the rate of animals being surrendered has risen, adoption rates have flat-lined as the ability to care for a pet, however small, proves too much for many households during these trying times.

Ms Cross said all rescue organisations were dealing with this issue and doing what they could to keep up with the running costs of their facilities.

She has decided to host a meeting with the volunteers of rescues throughout Wagga and the wider region to come up with collaborative, short-term solutions to ensure the protection of vulnerable animals.

"It's also about making people aware that there are more than one or two groups," Ms Cross said.

One of the rescues that will be working alongside SMART is the Riverina and District Animal Rescue (RADAR).

The group's president, Jessica Weir, said the rising cost of living was even having an impact on her volunteers' ability to provide foster care - RADAR's main means of operation.

"Feeding another animal, when you might be struggling to feed even yourself, is low on people's priorities and rightly so if they're struggling," she said.

"It just means that we don't necessarily have the team to provide services for the fallout of this situation."

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