Speaking Strictly Financially, Stick With the Hamster
Good story in the New York Times today about how much it actually costs to have a dog. And it does cost. This writer raises the issue that one of the reasons dogs end up in shelters may be that dogs cost more to keep and raise than many people expect, so they simply get rid of them. That's awfully sad.
But I think when reading some of the figures below you have to keep in mind that these are averages. For instance, I live in Tennessee and I have never paid anything like these costs for any of my dog-related services or products. Even most of my vet bills seem to be lower than this writer suggests. I just had Blue's hearing tested yesterday at the University of Tennessee and, while it was a lot more than the last time I had this done 7-8 years ago, it was far less than $135 for the "average" vet visit. Dog food costs are probably similar across the country but that is, to some extent, a controllable expense. You don't have to buy platypus liver food for your dog at $110/lb but many people buy the most expensive, exotic food they can find because everybody else is doing it and they've been told it's good for their dog, no matter what it costs.
Really, keeping a dog and doing what's best for him should be between you and your dog. It shouldn't be about trying to impress your neighbors or friends. You can keep your dog healthy and happy without going broke or feeling like giving up. If you need some support try to find a message board or e-mail group where other people are also concerned about real dog nutrition and caring for dogs — not simply about feeding what's popular. If you only feel good about what you're feeding your dog because it's the most expensive food then you probably don't know enough about dog foods in general. Do some more investigating.
Not all of us live in large urban areas. We're not all denizens of New York or L.A. and we don't all have access to doggy day spas and other costly amenities. You and your dog can be happy without them, believe it or not.
Speaking Strictly Financially, Stick With the Hamster
By ALINA TUGEND
Published: March 29, 2008
The average for a trip to the veterinarian in 2006 was $135 for dogs and $112 for cats, an industry group says. Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
MY 9-year-old son, Gabriel, wants a dog. He is desperate for a dog. All his friends are getting such cute little puppies.
So we bought him a hamster.
He was entranced with the hamster, Marbles, for about a day, until she bit him. Now he pretty much ignores her.
I tell him that I find it hard to believe he will take care of a dog if he doesn’t even feed and water his hamster.
“I know Marbles isn’t much responsibility,” Gabriel told me. “She’s also not much fun.”
He has a point — hamsters may be nocturnal, but Marbles seems to be a new breed that sleeps about 23 hours a day. Nonetheless, I am not convinced that getting a puppy is the answer.
Part of the problem is that I am not a dog person. And I am the one, after all, who will do most of the caretaking. My husband does love dogs, but it is unlikely he will squeeze dog walking into his 14-hour workday.
We also have a lot of expenses coming up this year, and I’m not sure it’s a wise financial move, in these times, to bring another mammal in the house.
So I decided to find out how much it costs to get and raise a dog or a cat. First, there is the act of getting a dog. My sister-in-law, Anne Marie, who lives in Northern California, initially adopted a shelter dog, but he ended up being too aggressive around her small niece. So she went to a breeder recommended by a veterinarian.
She bought an adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniel for $1,500, which was almost double what she had planned on spending.
“Trust me, I questioned my sanity at that price,” she said.
There are much cheaper options, of course. Pet stores sell dogs and cats; I have friends who have been very happy with the puppies they bought at pet stores. Many people, however, worry that a dog sold in a pet store may come from a puppy mill.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, such mills — which breed purebred puppies in large numbers — are cruel and the puppies sometimes end up with health problems and perhaps genetic diseases that surface years later.
My friend Carol, whom I turn to in all matters related to pets, and who has volunteered at an animal shelter for years, suggests going through rescue groups if you are eager for a specific breed but also want to help a dog who has been abandoned or abused. A page on the American Kennel Club’s Web site, www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm, provides information on such groups.
If you are less choosy, a local shelter is a great option, but you cannot just walk in and pick up a dog or cat. You have to prove that you will provide a good home. At the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter in New York, the shelter where Carol works, cat and dog adoptions cost about $40, although prospective pet owners may be asked to contribute toward spaying or neutering.
Shelter policy is that all cats and dogs are up to date on their shots, Carol said.
“You’re getting an incredible deal,” she said. “If someone balks at the cost, that’s a big red flag.”
But buying a pet is only the beginning. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association asked 580 dog owners and 402 cat owners to record the amount they spent in the last 12 months on specific pet-related items.
The dog owners spent almost $2,000; cat owners about $1,200. If you want a real deal, small animals came in at just under $300.
Spending can run even higher in the first year, since dogs need training, and whacking them with a newspaper is no longer an option. Private trainers can run over $800 for a package of lessons, while an obedience school is about half that.
“With dogs, so much depends on the size and age,” said Bob Vetere, president of the association. Annual costs “can vary from $400 to $500 a year to thousands.”
“If you start worrying about cataracts or tumors, you could get into thousands without breaking a sweat.”
Mr. Vetere said a relative of his had her mastiff’s two hips replaced at the cost of $10,000.
Far too many people underestimate the cost of raising a dog or cat, Mr. Vetere said, and “I think that’s what fills up shelters.”
The national average for a veterinarian visit in 2006 was $135 for dogs and $112 for cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
That is why many people are turning to pet insurance. Grant Biniasz, the spokesman for Veterinary Pet Insurance, the largest and oldest pet insurance company in the country, says an average plan costs $300 a year and covers accidents and illness. Like insurance for people, there is a deductible — $50 in this plan — and the insurance pays up to 90 percent of what is allowed.
The company also offers an add-on well care plan to pay for routine visits, and the good news is it will cover not just dogs and cats, but birds, snakes, potbellied pigs, reptiles — and hamsters!
The bad news is that dogs getting up in years may not be eligible. Mr. Biniasz says that while dogs already covered can continue receiving insurance after 10 years of age, his company will not accept new pets after they reach the 10-year mark.
Food is another big expenditure. Although my local Stop & Shop sells 13.2-ounce cans of generic dog food at the low price of five for $3, the fancy pet store a town away offers the same size organic cans for $1.80 each. I actually had to ask the saleswoman if I was holding a can of dog food or human food. With no indications on the can, the ingredients and photo looked as good as anything I serve my family.
Another potential expenditure is room and board when you go away. The average price of boarding a dog, varying slightly by the size of the dog, is $25 a night, said Joseph Lyman, the chief executive of the American Boarding Kennels Association.
But you can go up from there. Even for pets, there are the equivalent of Comfort Inns and Ritzes, and you pay accordingly. The trend now is for “add-on services,” Mr. Lyman said. A friend of mine who left his dog in a kennel over Thanksgiving could have paid extra if Stanley wanted a little turkey for his evening meal.
More, um, lavish, is a “tuck-in service,” in which workers will read a bedtime story until Spot’s eyes are drooping.
“At first, this seems kind of ridiculous,” Mr. Lyman said. “But in most families, when it is time to read a story, the dog jumps up on the bed. The dog doesn’t know you’re reading to the child — he thinks you’re reading to him or her. It calms them down.”
In addition to overnight care, many places offer play care, where your pet can romp around with friends during the day.
Professional dog walkers have also become a mandatory expense, especially if you work a full-time job.
My neighbor Robin has a booming business, charging $20 a walk. But she doesn’t just trot them around the block. She loads four or five dogs into her van and lets them off-leash in the woods where they play for about an hour.
“I’ve also started doggy play groups,” she said.
I could go on and discuss the cost of burials or setting up a living trust in case you predecease your pet. But, unfortunately, I have run out of space.
For non-pet-lovers, this has all gotten out of hand. For those who treasure their dogs or cats, it makes complete sense.
As far as our decision — well, maybe I can teach Marbles a few tricks. If I can wake her up.
