Business is booming for ACT clinics with the industry's already stretched vets struggling to keep up.

Curtin Veterinary Practice's Dr Jana Walsh said the combination of a backlog from cancelled appointments during lockdown and then a flurry of COVID-19 pet purchases had them chasing their tails.

"On top of that, Australia-wide we have a major veterinary shortage which is getting worse," she said.

"You talk to anyone from the other clinics and I think we're all starting to feel pretty burnt out."

RSPCA ACT reported a doubling in weekly adoptions at the beginning of the pandemic, a number which chief executive officer Michelle Robertson said had since levelled out.

Ms Robertson said the shelter was now adopting out less animals than it usually would for this time of year, as there were fewer being surrendered.

She said from March to August last year the ACT shelter had more than 1400 domestic animals surrendered, with more than 300 less given up during that period this year.

"I think working from home is good for our pets, the question is how do we hold onto this and make sure when everything flips around again that doesn't disappear," she said.

Ms Robertson said from a national perspective the pandemic had been difficult for the RSPCA, forcing them to change their entire business model.

"Part of the RSPCA is we want people to spend time at the shelter, but we can't do that now," she said.

Ms Robertson said RSPCA branches which were open were relying on a booking system to keep both visitors and staff safe.

She said fundraising events had also been cancelled and their boarding facilities were empty as people couldn't holiday.

Travel savings, it seems, were being spent on less gratuitous endeavors, with COVID-19 creating a spike in pet insurance sales from major providers.

iSelect reported a 27 per cent increase in pet insurance sales between March and August 2020, compared to the same time last year.

iSelect spokesperson Laura Crowden said it was likely new pet owners were looking for the assurance of insurance during this time of financial uncertainty.

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"With most of us spending more time at home in recent months due to COVID-19, many Aussies decided it was the perfect time to adopt a new pet," Ms Crowden said.

Dr Walsh said it wasn't just new puppies requiring vaccines who were being brought in, with people working from home paying closer attention to older pets and tending to their needs.

"A lot of dogs are suffering from anxiety as people they're used to having at home are returning to work. One minute they've got their mum and dads home for three or four months all the time, to suddenly going back to full-time work outside the home," she said.