Paying for a pet

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I would like to get some thoughts on this.

Do you all feel that if you cant afford to buy a dog that you shouldnt have one at all?

Affording the food and spay/neuter wouldnt be a problem down the road.

ETA: Adoption fee not buying from a breeder.

[onelilguysmommy]

Most her eare going to say you shouldn't be buying a dog in the first place

I think that you probably should have enough for a vet visit at the least.

[lifeguard]

It really depends on where you are planning to get the pet & therefore what that initial cost is. We've never been able to afford a purebred from a breeder but all of our rescues have been free or near free & we've never not been able to take care of them.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I was thinking more along the lines of adoption fees like from a rescue.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

Do you all feel that if you cant afford to buy a dog that you shouldnt have one at all?

Affording the food and spay/neuter wouldnt be a problem down the road.

ETA: Adoption fee not buying from a breeder.

I would probably say yes, unfortunately, though I guess it depends on the adoption fee amount.

Pet expenses are much more than the cost of food. One of our dogs had a mysterious injury to his leg a week after we brought him home resulting in a lot of swelling. We spent close to $1000 in the period of a couple of weeks to attempt to diagnose and treat the problem and complications that occurred.

There are so many costs involved with having a pet unfortunately. Vet visits, allergies, chewing/destroying things (because it's a puppy or has separation anxiety), training classes, boarding/pet sitting costs if you go on vacation. I guess the thing with money is - if your dog has a health or behaviour issue, will the funds be available to help them, or will they have to suffer?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

That is the thing if I pay $100 or more for the dog that is $100 I dont have to pay for vet visits etc. $100 would cover the cost of spay/neuter here where I live along with the rabies shot and vet visit.

I cant help but think about the people who told me that because I couldnt afford X that I shouldnt have kids. If I go by that logic then I can never have a dog nor would I have my 2 precious children now.

[Alyantavid]

Vet bills can be really expensive, even without the spay/neuter fee. You have no idea when a dog will get sick or hurt and need to see the vet. And depending on the dog, food can get really spendy too.

I guess I don't see how you would get a dog if you can't afford the adoption fee?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

There are always free dogs available here. Having kids can be expensive as well even with insurance but we manage that. We can also manage health care for the dog.

I cant think of a way to tell what I am trying to say here.

I guess the bottom line is if I cant come up with the $ to pay adoption fees then I should never own a dog and that makes me very sad.

Using that logic, like I mentioned above I should never have had kids. I cant buy my kids many things but we manage to give them all they need and I would do the same for a dog to the best of my ability, so why does not being able to come up with a lot of money at one time have to mean I cant ever have a dog.

[Alyantavid]

Well I guess I don't understand what you're asking for. Obviously people have pets and kids no matter what they can afford and do fine.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Thank you for the responses I know I wasnt clear.

[iamama]

I think your heart is more important than your check book. With all the homeless dogs that get put down each day I'd say they are better off with a low income owner than a trip to doggy heaven.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I agree 100% it upsets me that a lot of those dog could have had homes had there not been that large adoption fee.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

That is the thing if I pay $100 or more for the dog that is $100 I dont have to pay for vet visits etc. $100 would cover the cost of spay/neuter here where I live along with the rabies shot and vet visit.

I cant help but think about the people who told me that because I couldnt afford X that I shouldnt have kids. If I go by that logic then I can never have a dog nor would I have my 2 precious children now.

I think if you get in financial trouble, there are many more resources to help children than to help dogs (which I can certainly understand). But many people will make the choice to euthanize a pet when they get ill because they don't want to or don't have the money to spend on treatment, even when treatment is available and prognosis is good.

I guess that's the thing for me - if something happened (broken leg, seizures, allergic reaction, etc) would the dog get care or be put down? Your vet costs are much better than where I live, so I'm sure that helps. But here the emergency vet costs more than $100 just to walk in the door, not including any treatment.

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

I agree 100% it upsets me that a lot of those dog could have had homes had there not been that large adoption fee.

I think you have to keep in mind though that the folks who are caring for, feeding, and vetting these dogs have a lot of costs too. Shelters and rescue groups rarely break even, many lose money on the dogs they adopt out because there is no way most people would pay the actual cost. I certainly don't think they make money this way!

[Porcelain Interior]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

I would like to get some thoughts on this.

Do you all feel that if you cant afford to buy a dog that you shouldnt have one at all?

Affording the food and spay/neuter wouldnt be a problem down the road.

ETA: Adoption fee not buying from a breeder.

Yes I feel that if you can't afford a pet you shouldn't have one at all. If you can barely buy food, or your living arrangements aren't stable (moving frequently) you shouldn't be a pet owner.

Situations can change drastically for the worse, but if you know before aquiring the pet that times are really hard it's not responsible to take on a pet.

I think it's similar to having children (not that pets and kids are the same- not even close), I don't think you need to be rich to have either, but you should certainly have a roof over your heads and be able to provide for the basics comfortably with a little left over for emergencies.

I guess a good test would be to ask yourself what would happen if your animal needed emergency medical attention right now. Could you pay for it? Would it break you? If it's a yes, owning a pet probably isn't a good idea right now.

I think that having pets is not a right, it's a privledge and a responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly.

*And OP I wasn't talking about you in this post, when I first read your question I thought you were asking opinions, not specifically about your own situation. That is something you'll have to ponder and settle in your own heart. I'm sure if you want a dog badly you'll find a way to make it happen in a responsible way.

[number572]

Get your dog & love him/her alot & do the best you can as far as researching all forms of aide BEFORE you have an emergency, etc. Unless you're going to leave it tied up outside or without food, or take him back to the shelter if things get worse for you financially, that is.

Be realistic about the dog's size & needs... smaller dog means less food - hairy dogs need brushing & baths more often, etc.

Seems like the dog would choose a loving home with meager means VS. a cold, concrete cell until he's put to sleep.

Enjoy your dog (if you get one)!

[FreeRangeMama]

I think you have to keep in mind though that the folks who are caring for, feeding, and vetting these dogs have a lot of costs too. Shelters and rescue groups rarely break even, many lose money on the dogs they adopt out because there is no way most people would pay the actual cost. I certainly don't think they make money this way!

We were low income when we got most of our pets and they have never been without. But part of going through a rescue is that your dog will have vet. care, be spayed/neutered, have been fostered so you know the temperment of the dog you are getting, and so much more. The fee isn't used as a deterrent to low income potential homes, it is often necessary to keep the organization afloat. Often these organizations charge less that they bring in and STILL rely on donations and fund-raising.

A loving home is always better than the alternative, so I don't necessarily think you shouldn't get a pet unless you can afford the adoption fee. But you should go into it knowing the potential risks.

We got one of our dogs from the local shelter. Low adoption fee, but he does have issues. Anxiety and massive dental issues due to abuse or injury when he was abandoned. By the time he gets his last round of surgery we will have spent $1300 on dental bills. That doesn't include his neuter, vaxes, vet care for an injury, or any of the other incidentals. Our $300 rescue has been CHEAP by comparison. She came to us vetted, spayed, checked for dental issues (which would have been covered had she had any at the time of adoption), up to date on her shots, and with food and bedding! Not to mention a 30 health guarantee so if anything came up during that time it ALSO would have been covered. Plus, she had been fostered first so we knew she was great with kids, no anxiety issues, got along wonderfully with other pets.

So no, I don't think you shouldn't have a pet if you can't afford the adoption fee. But I do think that places that charge those adoption fees generally do so for a reason. And often that fee can end up SAVING you money in the long run. I also do agree that if you can't necessarily afford the adoption fee up front you absolutely need to have a back up plan in mind for the 'what ifs' like injury, or if your dog gets out and you are fined, or all sorts of other things that can come up with dog ownership. Dogs cost money, and often in ways that kids don't. It isn't exactly a comparable situation.

[primjillie]

As someone who has spent almost $3000 on my two dogs the last six months, I would say no ~ don't get a dog unless you are prepared to pay for vet bills if necessary. We were lucky for years to have only maintenance bills - vaccines, check ups, neutering and grooming. Then, wham! Older dog got oral melanoma and younger dog has a rare jaw muscle disease. We had the older dog put to sleep in October, but I think the younger dog is going to be okay. We are so attached that we couldn't not pay for their care.

[SquishyKitty]

If you can't afford to pay the adoption fees, which would also cover the cost of a spay/neuter and vaccinations (which are more than $100 individually) I would consider not getting a dog at this time.

I believe that you shouldn't own a dog if you can't afford vet costs or providing them with good food and socializing them correctly.

[SquishyKitty]

If you adopt from a shelter, you will pay adoption fees but they will also be spayed/neutered already, and generally have their first round of vaccinations. If you go through a rescue league, you'll probably pay more and the dog may not be fixed.

[TheGirls]

If you can afford to feed the dog and pay for veterinary care, including an injury or illness, then you must have enough left over income that you could save up for the adoption fee... We adopted Molly about 8 months ago. Our adoption fees (including spaying, shots, vet visit, microchip) were about $200. We've spent more than that in the past 8 months (bed, kennel, collars (several, she breaks them), leashes (she eats them), food, flea medication, shampoo, stuff to chew on, etc...) and we don't feed expensive food, relatively, and Molly has been very healthy so she has only needed one regular vet visit (checkup). I know that we spend $100 on food alone over the course of a few months, so if you just delay pet ownership for a few months and save up the food costs, then you can afford the adoption fee...

I guess I don't understand how someone could not EVER be able to afford $100 for an adoption, even with saving up, but could afford to spay/neuter, vaccinate, feed, pay for planned and emergency health care, and otherwise supply the dog.

I would liken it to adopting a child, rather than birthing one. You have to prove that you are financially stable, etc when adopting. You have to have enough room in your home, and while you don't need to be wealthy, you have to prove that you have the funds to feed and care for the child.