# I can't afford $xx.xx......



## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I’m sure the old timers here will recognize this ‘rant’, I’ve expressed this opinion a number of times over the years, but last night brought it home yet again.

When someone posts that they cant afford a dollar amount for a GSD that is in the range of good GSD pups (I’m not talking the $5,000+ dogs here) my response is almost always, then you can’t afford a dog.

Kaos is 8 months old now, and I swear if any piece of something can fit in her mouth it’s hers and it will be chewed.

A week ago she chewed off the end of her collar and it had a metal cap on it. I didn’t find it in the crate and I looked around the house as well and never found it. So for a week I did the poop squish hoping if she had eaten it, that it would pass on its own.

Yesterday she vomited followed by pure liquid diarrhea and so the vet got a call. 
I took her in last evening and they x-rayed.
There was no metal (YaY!) however the stomach showed something in it when it should have been empty since it had been 12+ hours since she ate. 

Though for some dogs you wouldn’t label her as lethargic, she was off, by a lot. She actually fell asleep on the floor in the exam room. She’s always good, but is usually examining everything and when done if nothing is happening, doing it all again…or I’m working on commands to keep her busy.

So I was faced with a decision.
1) Take her home and watch her, knowing that I might have to rush her back in, and I’m about a half hour from the vet
2) Have a Barium Study done to see if anything would move past that glob of “something” in her belly. Would need to go down the road to the ER Vet as it couldn't be completed before my vet closed at 10:00 PM
3) Leave her over night on IVs and they would do a food/water challenge and keep an eye on her all the time. Would need to go down the road to the ER Vet as my vet closes at 10:00 PM

I am SO glad my decision did not have to be made 100% by my wallet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rolling in dough and weighed my options carefully.

I ended up leaving her overnight with approval to do the Barium Study without calling me if they needed to after her food/water challenge. 

Luckily for all of us, she passed the food/water challenge with no vomiting and pooped early this morning and so she is now home.

The Barium Study would have been another $500.00 tacked on to the already $700.00 bill but I would have gladly paid it if she had needed it. And of course, if she had had a full obstruction then who knows how much this all would have been!

So please, if you say to yourself “I can’t afford $xx.xx to buy a puppy” then don’t. 
Save your money until you can have a “buy the puppy” fund and an “Oh crap my dog is really sick” fund. The first two years weren’t good for Dante, and I spent $5,000.00 at the vet!

I would rather error on the side of caution, then error on the other side…

Oh by the way before I went to pick her up this morning, I did a toy round up and found a blue hard rubber ring that I gave her last weekend that is missing about 3 inches of the ring and since she’s been home she has had a couple blue rubber poops.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

I really really hope the pet insurance I have for my new puppy is worth it. My lab cost me thousands and thousands to keep him going the past 9 years.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Yup. In the past two months, if I count the vet bills, food, etc. all together it adds up to nearly a thousand dollars just because of all the vet bills I've had lately. All in all, I had over 5 vet visits in the past four weeks. Not a fun thing to do. If you can't afford 800 Euros or a 1000 Bucks for a pup in the first place, don't buy one.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

How true!


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

Now I want to ask this. And I don't want anyone to take it the wrong way. I genuinely want your opinion. I get where your coming from even though it does make me feel like I am a bad owner. 
At this point in my Life I couldn't afford a 1000 dollar puppy. But, I feed a $61.99 feed, supplements, etc and everything she has needed as far as vet care goes, she has gotten it. However, if she bloated or had an emergency and it cost $700 I couldn't do it. I could do a payment plan or see if I could set up a payment plan with my parents ( depending on Which mood they're in). 
So for people like me, do you feel we shouldn't own an animal and if we do, should we rehome to someone who is rich enough to afford care?
I'm a 20 year old college student who lives on her own with all the bills and taking the best care I can for my dog.
Like I said I agree with what you say and I'm not angry and not trying to be rude at all or mean or angry. I calm while writing this. I just want your honest opinion 
how do you feel about people like me?


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Thank you Barb....this is so true......and I am so happy to have a puppy with such a conscientious and observant owner.....and so glad that Kaos is OK......even though I was handholding long distance by phone, and up checking email and FB a couple of times throughout the night, it is very distressing to know one of "my" pups was in danger....and so satisfying to know that the owner is prepared to take care of that pup! Thanks Barb for having and loving Kaos!

Lee


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

DTS, I wouldn't say you shouldn't "own" an animal, however, I would ask, what are you (general you) going to do IF you did have that 700$ emergency? 

Gotta have back up plans cause emergencies happen when you least expect them. 

I am by no means rich either, but I have vets that are so great, would never refuse me, no matter the price, allow me a payment plan if I have to, and I have one credit card with a zero balance that is reserved for emergencies only..


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

I worked for a vet for many many years and we would gladly arrange a payment plan. We also accepted credit cards. I would just like to point out that many affluent clients throughout the years decided not to pay for expensive surgery or treatments over the years. Also, many paycheck to paycheck owners sold cars, borrowed, or worked off their bill in the kennel.


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

Well we have been trying to get a credit card, for these reasons. We also have been saving what we can, but I'm on loans for school, I've thought about taking out another 1000 just in case. I will be going on my clinical rotations in January and august 2013 I will graduate hopefully with a job, so living paycheck to paycheck will only last for another yr, year and a half tops. 
And if worst came to worst, and not that I like doing this, my mom has the ability to loan me the money, now if it's like 2000 and I know shed say put her down. Even with the credit card, I have no credit so I'd pry have like a 500-700 limit. So if she needed some huge surgery ranging over $1500 I'd pry have to put her down. But hopefully with the extra grand I could take out in loans, getting myself and my bf a credit card, and help with my mom it could be done if something major major happened. 
But this situation is only going to be for another yr yr and a half like I said. 
But I know a lot can happen in that time.
ETA: our regular vet would let us do payments but I know ER are different and our vet is 40 mins away because we moved towns


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

DTS, atleast you have a "plan"..I would also talk to your vet and ask him if you ever had an emergency could you make payments, that might take the pressure off of wondering just "what" you would do.

I also have a great mom who loves my animals, and if push came to shove I could always borrow from her tho that would be my last desire to do so..


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

DTS said:


> Now I want to ask this. And I don't want anyone to take it the wrong way. I genuinely want your opinion. I get where your coming from even though it does make me feel like I am a bad owner.
> At this point in my Life I couldn't afford a 1000 dollar puppy. But, I feed a $61.99 feed, supplements, etc and everything she has needed as far as vet care goes, she has gotten it. However, if she bloated or had an emergency and it cost $700 I couldn't do it. I could do a payment plan or see if I could set up a payment plan with my parents ( depending on Which mood they're in).
> So for people like me, do you feel we shouldn't own an animal and if we do, should we rehome to someone who is rich enough to afford care?
> I'm a 20 year old college student who lives on her own with all the bills and taking the best care I can for my dog.
> ...


Hey, I could get into the same situation you are in. If you already have the dog, **** happens an times are not always good. 

I just switched from a very expensive food to a less expensive food and put the left over money into a savings jar. I safe money on myself, on the dogs and put every single cent, that makes the difference into savings. 

You can do the same. Even if it's only a couple of dollars per week, you will see that it'll turn into a Snowball effect and saving gets easier over time. Within two months I've managed to save about 2000 Dollars and we still have a good amount of money left in the checking account. I've become very adamant about savings and if that means that my dogs will be on Pedigree for a period of time, than so be it. I'd rather have the money in the savings and can keep my dogs instead of going bankrupt over paying 200 bucks, per month on dog food for three dogs. 

It does make a difference and right now we all live in uncertain times. It's priorities that make the difference. I no longer have cable, no longer have a home phone. I have Internet and Straight Talk. 
I don't feed the most expensive food anymore. I went from Interceptor to Ivermectin (just got a bottle last week), that makes a huge difference because the Ivermectin is good for three years and cost less than a monthly Interceptor treatment. I will however stick to Advantix. 
Have to cut obedience lessons and instead build a training group right here in watertown. 

I walk more and leave the car at home. I'll get my bike fixed and will use that instead of driving to work with the car. 

If you put the difference between what you paid before an what you pay now, into savings, you can tell the difference. 
Also, eating out, makes a huge difference. Getting a Coolata at Dunkins every day...fix it yourself an put that 4.86 bucks into a jar and put it into savings by the end of the week.


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

i could not afford a $2500-5000 dog. But i did get the pure bred shepherd i wanted....and i give him the best that i can...and if and when the expensive vet bills/emergencies come..thats what my care credit card is for  ive been lucky with my 9 yr old who ive had since she was 8 weeks..shes only ever needed routine care hoping i will be as lucky with the puppy


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

I guess many shouldn't have children either. 

Some children have accidents, illness or injuries that can bankrupt their parents.

I understand where you are coming from but find it not realistic.

I will admit, that if we all waited until we could afford to have dogs or children's potential for expensive illness or injury financially covered, we could certainly curb the over population problem.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I've decided against care credit. Don't want another credit card. Since I regularly visit the same vet they know I always pay. So last time, after the dog fight I've only had 43 Dollars on my, my bankcard at home and a 150 Dollar Bill. So I paid part of it and went to the bank to get some more money and came back. 

If you are a first time visitor I can see how the Vet would be slightly concerned but most of the time, if you are a regular and they know you and your dogs and you've always paid the bills and you do get into a bad situation, I do believe that my vet would actually give me a payment plan despite the sign that they don't do payment plans. I've seen their payment plan contracts. 

Also, they become much more lenient about office fees over time. At least my vet did and the bill would have been much higher if it wasn't for them taking out the office fees and all I had to pay was the medication.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

With Riley the last couple months with his knee injury, i spent a good grand on vet bills and followups for him. I didnt have the money in my savings account. I only had about $200. Luckily I was able to funnel money from other parts of the budget to cover the vet appointments as needed. If i'd had to do anything else, I could have taken a loan out, could have borrowed the money from my inlaws. My vet back home allows payment plans so I'd be covered there.

We live paycheck to paycheck but we ALWAYS find a way.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Care Credit is an option as well. Depending on the amount it's so many months no interest. May be something to apply for now, for 'just in case'.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Jack's Dad said:


> I guess many shouldn't have children either.
> 
> Some children have accidents, illness or injuries that can bankrupt their parents.


It's not about bankruptcy, it's about being able to care for your pet.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

DTS - Sounds like you're a great owner and you have some plans in place.

I would NEVER suggest that a good owner give up their beloved pet because they don't have a lot of money!! 
I would suggest like others said that you work hard on getting a savings account going for your dog. 
I of course have no idea how you live and if you even have anything left to give up to save a $ or $$ but I've been shocked to hear people say that things like a daily coffee from a coffee shop, cable, having a land line and a cell phone, etc are all necessities! 

I did wait to get my first dog until I was settled in my life. Mom tells me I asked for a dog the first time when I was 3 and I got Dante when I was 43! It was a long wait!!


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

When we first adopted our oldest dog who is now 9 years old,she had well over $2000 in vet bills within the first 8 months of having her. At times it was tough,but we always did without if we needed to in order to make sure that she had what she needed. We haven't cut down on the price of food or other required items for the animals,because we believe that it can prevent other ailments. Besides one emergency visit with her,we haven't had any other unexpected vet visits with any of the dogs.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

By the way, if I lived 5 minutes instead of 30 minutes from the ER Vet - I *might* have had the original vet do Sub-Q fluids and brought her home and watched her myself


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mrs.K said:


> I've decided against care credit. Don't want another credit card. Since I regularly visit the same vet they know I always pay. So last time, after the dog fight I've only had 43 Dollars on my, my bankcard at home and a 150 Dollar Bill. So I paid part of it and went to the bank to get some more money and came back.


The care credit is actually a good card, no interest for certain terms. I would prefer to have this card(and I do) over some others.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I have three dogs, the oldest is 8 and she has gone to the vet once with an anal gland problem. I'm hoping that the two youngest follow suit. So far the golden hasn't gone at all and he'll be three and the GSD went once for a rash(I over reacted). I feed them well, exercise them, and watch them like hawks so they don't eat anything that would be bad or dangerous to them. With all that being said I have about $3500 put aside for any emergency that might come up and if it was more then that I would have no problem getting the extra money from my dad...he would never let one of my animals be put down due to the lack of money.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Haha, my Senior is the least of my problems. It's the two girls that cost more than anyone else. Indra injured herself during training because she's reckless and then the two girls got into a fight with each other, on top of that. 

Yukon just had his annual exam. He's as healthy as an 8 year old can be. Always loved the healthy dogs of my family. We never really had any issues, health wise.


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

Barb E- No we don't do coffee at coffe shops, drive thrus, etc. We spend
Money on rent, gas, insurence, food, electric, cable and Internet. I mean we do take out every Once in a while but not really. Anything extra is saved or spent on her lol. I thought of getting a job, I used to work full time and went to school until I got into this program that takes up 8-10 hours a day M-F not counting studying and if I fail a
Class I'm out of the program. So I took out loans ( way too many but gotta do what you gotta do) and my bf works 2 jobs and goes part time to school until spring to cover his half of the bills. I think trying to get a credit card will be a good step. And talking to the er vet to see how they operate.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I won't say that there's a specific dollar amount you have to pay to get a good dog. It depends on what people want. If you want a show line dog with 10 VAs in the 4-gen pedigree, all SchH3, and all low ZW scores then yeah you need $2500+.

I've paid over $2K for a dog (and never regretted it for a second) and now am "shopping" for a free dog on Craigslist. I'm looking for a small terrier mix that is high energy, not fearful/timid, likes to engage with toys, and preferably spayed (intact or neutered male is fine). I don't care about exact breed, papers, where the dog originally came from, whether it has any training....I'm just looking for a certain "type" of dog with a few characteristics and I can do the rest. I've actually found a few really nice prospects.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Barb E said:


> It's not about bankruptcy, it's about being able to care for your pet.


Since you brought the topic up, how much money in reserve do you think people should have to care for their dog/dogs?

I can take care of my dogs but I didn't have a lot in reserve for many years.

It just seems to me that your standards may eliminate half the pet population.


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

With care credit, you have to use it. I had it for dental for a "just in case" and because I didn't use it they ended up closing it and said that I would never be able to reapply for it. So I would check to see if the line of credit is still open for those of you who have it. Put at least *something* on it so that it stays open and doesn't get closed.

ETA: so my post stays on topic, I would at least save $2,000 for emergency, but that would be after I get a chance to pay some of my student loans off. With owing $50k (or that is what it will be around), I would have to look into my options. I know I can't afford a dog more than a certain amount after the first dog. I'm willing to put what I get from my aid (which goes into my pocket) and save that up for the future. That would also give me the option of investing it into say stock, down payment on furniture, a place, etc. I may even put $500 towards the purchase price of my first dog and save the rest out of my checks from working. 

Many don't think using aid money towards the purchase of your dog is a good idea, but what else would I use it for besides saving it when I would need it? I'm almost finished (I have another year for general classes maybe less and my internship which is a year plus classes towards my internship) so I can expect money coming at least four more times. I wasted the other money I received on buying laptops that ended up breaking or I gave my last one away because someone needed one in my family. I paid my bills, etc. So I think since I know I want a dog in the future invest $500 towards the purchase price of said dog, that way I know it wouldn't be used for anything else that I know I don't need like clothes or trips.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Jack's Dad said:


> Since you brought the topic up, how much money in reserve do you think people should have to care for their dog/dogs?
> 
> I can take care of my dogs but I didn't have a lot in reserve for many years.
> 
> It just seems to me that your standards may eliminate half the pet population.


I don't think there is an amount that can be named.
I use a credit card if I can't pay cash and pay it off in time. Luckily I haven't had to do that since 2006 when I got that first 2 years with Dante paid off.

The amount I need in Portland Oregon is going to be different than someone in Grants Pass Oregon etc.

My point here really was just simply that a LOT of people don't think about the possibilities when the get a pet and are suddenly faced with a decision of take your dog home an it will probably die (let's say obstructed for sure) or put your dog to sleep.

This Is in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO SAY THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE RICH TO HAVE PETS!

Single income and a mortgage payment here - I'm NOT rolling $$ and never have been.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

From recent events, I'd say have at least a 1000 - 2000 Dollars on the side. 500 is the minimum I'd have on the side. 

500-1000 is something everyone should be able to safe. Even if you can only put a dollar per day on the side, that dollar builds up quickly. Same with all the change that a lot of people think is insignificant. If you put all the change into a jar an take it to the bank, it also builds up quickly. A 1000 dollars can go a long way with the vet.


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Glad that Kaos is home and doing better. Its very scary when your puppy/dog gets sick and you know its going to cost a lot.

Even for non-emergency things...the vet bills can add up quick. I recently took Uschi to the vet to find out why she had a "lump" under her chin. After having her sedated so they could get a better look, take a sample from the area affected and send to a lab and check there under a microscope, blood work to be sent out, antibiotics (just in case) and pain meds/anti-inflamatory (rimadyl). Vet suspected an infected salivary gland which would mean surgery. But after the lab work came back a few days later it was diagnosed as an abscess. So I finished out the meds and she has been fine since. The vet bill was $650.00 and it was a regular vet. When she was a puppy I decided to get pet insurance for her since she was costing me so much in vet bills. This visit alone, has paid my premium for the year (I pay it all up front for each year). But that way I know I will get my money back (minus the deductible) should Uschi not only have an emergency but for anything out of the ordinary.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Or you can adopt a dog and save the difference for vet bills. And before we get into a flame war about how much rescue dogs cost, if you look at the posts of this board you will see that expensive dogs from breeders seem to have just as many expensive accidents and other weird, expensive gsd health problems as rescued dogs. 

Chama was free and her vet bills were minimal. My shepherds, on the other hand, have all had their share of shepherdy health problems. Massie (who I adopted at age 22) was the most expensive, by far, but I'd rather spend money on food, health care, toys, etc. than on purchasing a dog. She never went without anything and that included a total hip replacement that I save for for a long time. But that's just me, of course. :crazy:

I also don't have a specific savings for my animals but when things have happened I have been able to shift things around to pay for whatever is necessary.

I think more to the point is not how much you can afford to pay for a dog up front but how committed you are to taking care of that dog. That is what is truly important. In my case, it doesn't matter whether I pay $325 or the dog/cat is free, I am going to take good care of them, no matter what.


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

One thing to remember too is what people can afford and what they will afford are two different things.

I can afford to pay $100.00 for a pair of shoes if I wanted too. However the mere thought gives me heart palpitations and I choose not too....


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

BowWowMeow said:


> Or you can adopt a dog and save the difference for vet bills. And before we get into a flame war about how much rescue dogs cost, if you look at the posts of this board you will see that expensive dogs from breeders seem to have just as many expensive accidents and other weird, expensive gsd health problems as rescued dogs.
> 
> I think more to the point is not how much you can afford to pay for a dog up front but how committed you are to taking care of that dog. That is what is truly important. In my case, it doesn't matter whether I pay $325 or the dog/cat is free, I am going to take good care of them, no matter what.


I paid $85.00 for my now 8 year old rescue and she came fixed with shots(at 10 months old), since then(7 years) I have spent less then $1000.00 on her medically, that would be shots included...so you will not hear me complain about adopting or rescuing any dog And I agree about the committed part too. Since I was able to save money on her in the last 8 years, it will make it easier down the road to invest any money for things she needs medically as she gets older.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Betty said:


> One thing to remember too is what people can afford and what they will afford are two different things.
> 
> I can afford to pay $100.00 for a pair of shoes if I wanted too. However the mere thought gives me heart palpitations and I choose not too....


Good point, now the question is "How much would one spend on a dog to save its life?" I know there are different circumstances, but what is the money amount that people draw the line at before they opt to put the dog down.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

phhhh...Jax racked up a $1000 just last year. So far this year about $300 and I think she might need an xtra on her hips/back so it'll be close to $1000 this year also. That is just direct medical expenses from the vet. My $75 pound puppy isn't cheap but she sure is pretty.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

I agree that it's moreso how committed you are to your dog and its health than how much money you really have. I'm 17, work part-time usually (have been working 72 hrs a week lately), don't live at home so I have bills, have to pay for my baby, etc. At the moment I can't afford to spend $1500+ buying a dog. However, I have no cable (if there is something on tv I want to watch, I make a night/day of it with friends/family), no home phone, use Straighttalk, just switched Dakoda from Blue Buffalo to a cheaper brand that is still pretty good for her (as well as cut back a bit on how much raw she gets), don't eat out unless it is a special occasion, only use the vehicle if it is an absolute MUST, we're actually selling the Expedition to buy a more gas efficient car, etc. 
I currently have $800 in emergency only money that I would throw down for my furbaby in a heartbeat. Matt has $2600 saved for her. If that wasn't enough, I would borrow from friends/family, work out a payment plan with the office I work at, sell anything that wasn't an absolute need, etc. 

As for Jax's very good question- How much I would spend to keep her alive depends on the quality of life she would have in the end. If I could save her life for $6500, I would do it. Unless she would never be able to walk, run, play, etc. like she wants to.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

Betty said:


> One thing to remember too is what people can afford and what they will afford are two different things.
> 
> I can afford to pay $100.00 for a pair of shoes if I wanted too. However the mere thought gives me heart palpitations and I choose not too....


Haha! Me too!

I feel adopting/purchasing a pup is no different than having children from a financial standpoint. I think to acquire either without being financially stable and prepared to spend money out of the wazoo is selfish and totally irresponsible and its no secret....BOTH are expensive. I know things can happen *after* the fact (ie loss of jobs, other financial emergencies) and thats one thing. But to go out and get a dog knowing you couldn't take it to the vet the next day if you had to is an injustice to the dog. IMO.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

GsdLoverr729 said:


> As for Jax's very good question- How much I would spend ...


That was Jack's Dad, not me.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

wolfstraum said:


> Thank you Barb....this is so true......and I am so happy to have a puppy with such a conscientious and observant owner.....and so glad that Kaos is OK......even though I was handholding long distance by phone, and up checking email and FB a couple of times throughout the night, it is very distressing to know one of "my" pups was in danger....and so satisfying to know that the owner is prepared to take care of that pup! Thanks Barb for having and loving Kaos!
> 
> Lee


Thanks for listening to me babble :rofl: Like I said, I had forgotten that level of worry since Dante has done so well the last number of years!
Walking away from her at the ER Vet...Yeah tough!!


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> That was Jack's Dad, not me.


xD Woops. I had another thread opened beside this one that had your name at the bottom  The J's confuzzled meh. Sorry


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## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

Jack's Dad said:


> I guess many shouldn't have children either.
> 
> Some children have accidents, illness or injuries that can bankrupt their parents.
> 
> ...


I actually tell my grow daughters this same thing. If I would have waited until I was financially ready then I still would not have any children at the age of 43. My daughters though have never been without what they needed maybe what they wanted but not needed. I feel we make the same decisions with our pets. Anyways I do. 
I am not rich, but my pups are very well taken care of. I have had emergencies before that we went to the ER vet we had to sacrifice things that we wanted to splurge on for the procedures but we always did what is best for them. 
Just saying it is not fair to say just because someone does not have thousands in the bank they should not have a dog is not fair. I dont have it in the bank but I do have money come in weekly and I do what I have to for the people and the pets I love.:hug:


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

The funny thing is that a lot of people who do have tons of money in the bank,wouldn't spend anything extra on their pets and they can more than afford it.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Gharrissc said:


> The funny thing is that a lot of people who do have tons of money in the bank,wouldn't spend anything extra on their pets and they can more than afford it.


This has been my experience at the vet's office. We actually had a couple who is known to be pretty wealthy come in with a 6 yr old chocolate lab who we found was having an allergic reaction to his food and was missing a good bit of hair from it. When they were told it was an easy fix and it was recommended that they switch him to a different food (about $10-15 more), they quickly shot us down and said to euthanize him. We would not do it because he was clearly very healthy otherwise and had a GREAT temperament (this coming from someone who doesn't like labs ). They took him to a nearby clinic and had him put down.
The point is, rather than buy a slightly more expensive food they chose to put him down. I am not saying this is ALWAYS the case, but it does happen. :/


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I think the underlying point here is that the initial outlay is just a very small amount of the overall cost. For instance - purchasing horses in Arkansas is a pretty good deal. Boarding them is expensive, vet care comes along, the farrier has gotten very expensive, too... And there's been no emergency, no critical care needed yet.

Frankly, I've had dogs when I've been borrowing from friends to pay the rent. I always managed to pay the vet and take them in when they needed to go. Always. My first dog was a mutt, the second an adopted purebred, third a mutt, fourth adopted purebred, next two purchased purebreds, then an adopted purepred; present two - one purchased purebred, other adopted mutt. My economic circumstances have fluxuated, too.
Sorry Barb, but dogs have been integral to my life. I've always found a way. I expect I always will. Pups often help send the vet's kids to expensive schools. Seniors buy the new house. Those dogs in between? They're the ones that let the wallet recover - a bit - some of the time - if you're lucky.\!


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

I don't know what the procedure is for following orders to put an animal down at a clinic,but can you offer to take the animals and find them a home,or do you always have to follow the owners' wishes to PTS?



GsdLoverr729 said:


> We would not do it because he was clearly very healthy otherwise and had a GREAT temperament (this coming from someone who doesn't like labs ). They took him to a nearby clinic and had him put down.
> The point is, rather than buy a slightly more expensive food they chose to put him down. I am not saying this is ALWAYS the case, but it does happen. :/


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

This thread reminds me of a conversation I was having with my mom a few weeks ago about a friend of mine who's expecting his first kid in about a month.

This friend of mine is loaded with debt and is living paycheck to paycheck. Works a couple jobs for a minimum of 10+ hours a day, everyday. Has a couple of dogs who don't really get the attention they deserve. His wife is going to stop working once she has the baby and his car just got repoed because he missed a couple payments.

So I'm talking to my mom (who actually gave him one of his current jobs so she knows him well and sees him everyday) about how he can possibly have a child with all this debt and no money. I'm a planner and saver, so it's not something I can really wrap my mind around. She basically said, and it does make a lot of sense, if everyone waited until they were financially ready to have babies, no one would have any babies. It's kind of the same here with dogs. People just play it by year. It's just the way it is... with humans and dogs.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Gharrissc said:


> I don't know what the procedure is for following orders to put an animal down at a clinic,but can you offer to take the animals and find them a home,or do you always have to follow the owners' wishes to PTS?


 We tried to convince the owners to sign him over to us, so that we could get in touch with a lab rescue or adopt him out ourselves in the way we do with kittens. But they were very adament about putting him down (which irked me since they could have signed him over to us for free, but instead they dropped money to put him down. Even though they wouldn't spend a little more to fix the tiny problem).


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

This is a tough thing, because health issues come from left field and rack up so fast.

Awhile back I had like an $800++ month on dog stuff. I don't have 800 to spare most months, but it had to be done. They were due for things. Bailey was having some issues. Older dog needed more blood testing. New dog came into the house and needed heartworm checked and neutered. Sure, I knew some of the expenses were coming, but not all of them and they hit like a ton of bricks. It meant other things had to be cut. New shoes for work had to wait longer, that kind of thing.

Those sacrifices are part of pet ownership if you're not able to stash away a nice wad of cash, or have a spare credit card with a good credit limit. I have a small line of credit that I would/could draw from in an emergency, but I'd be sweating if it were a major issue. (I'm not going to say the "b" word. If you know what word I mean, ok, let's not say it out loud, it scares me too much.)

What upsets me is that some owners wouldn't sacrifice a darned thing in the case of an ill pet. Putting them down in far cheaper. Like the example another poster put above with the food allergy -- and the dog needing a more expensive food. That kind of person is one I'd like to kick in a tender spot.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Jack's Dad said:


> I guess many shouldn't have children either.


Abso-frickin-lutely


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't keep money on the side for my dogs. Heck we can't really do that for ourselves right now. We aren't rich so putting money away would earn less interest than what we gain by paying off student loans and such as soon as possible. If I have to I can use a credit card or care credit for an emergency. Also I've been financially independent since I was 17 so if I'm ever in a pinch my parents can float me some cash because I've never abused them as far as expecting financial support. I suppose that sounds backwards, but I know my family wouldn't let us starve or be in financial ruin because of a medical emergency (I'm talking in general....me, DH, dog...).

What I would/wouldn't do for a dog has more to do with quality of life than cost.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

chelle said:


> What upsets me is that some owners wouldn't sacrifice a darned thing in the case of an ill pet. Putting them down in far cheaper. Like the example another poster put above with the food allergy -- and the dog needing a more expensive food. That kind of person is one I'd like to kick in a tender spot.


 :thumbup: I was actually thinking more of a Spartan kick to the face...


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Since when is putting a dog down cheap? I paid over 300 Dollars and would not consider that cheap at all. Maybe in the long run but right there and then you have to pay the price of putting a dog down, and with cremation, etc... it can add up quickly. 

Not speaking of the emotional cost.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

Mrs.K said:


> Since when is putting a dog down cheap? I paid over 300 Dollars and would not consider that cheap at all. Maybe in the long run but right there and then you have to pay the price of putting a dog down, and with cremation, etc... it can add up quickly.
> 
> Not speaking of the emotional cost.


 I don't think that all "owners" care as much as those of us on here do. The couple I spoke about, for instance. Considering how determined they were for euthanasia over FREE rescue, and a slightly more expensive food, I would guess that they had little to no emotional cost involved at all. They'll probably turn around and buy a brand new puppy.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

You're right, not everyone feels an attachment like we on this forum feel. There were sooo many bad decisions from people of all tax brackets. More than once well to do clients chose euthanasia over having a drain put in just to spare their carpets, furniture and car interiors. Just didnt want to be bothered with the inconvenience. Incontinence without even a diagnosis was another death sentence for some. 

Financial status can also change drastically in ten years or so. I couldnt afford an expensive puppy but would go above and beyond what many affluent people would to see that proper care is given on any occasion. There will always be rotten owners no matter what their bank statement says. We cant save the world.



GsdLoverr729 said:


> I don't think that all "owners" care as much as those of us on here do. The couple I spoke about, for instance. Considering how determined they were for euthanasia over FREE rescue, and a slightly more expensive food, I would guess that they had little to no emotional cost involved at all. They'll probably turn around and buy a brand new puppy.


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## Jo_in_TX (Feb 14, 2012)

For some folks purchasing a $2,500 dog is simply not a priority even if they could find the money. Kids, college tuition, braces, music lessons, etc. are all higher priorities. That's not to say that we don't spend money on the dogs that we do have and love and have become a part of our family. We do. We just don't spend that much money to acquire them.

I feed good quality food and am spending a decent amount of money on a private trainer because I want to do everything I can to give Teddy a great start in life and make her a good fit in our family and society, and we'll take care of her health needs to the best of our ability. 

And she is as loved and wanted as any dog here bought at any price.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Barb E said:


> I’m sure the old timers here will recognize this ‘rant’, I’ve expressed this opinion a number of times over the years, but last night brought it home yet again.
> 
> 
> So please, if you say to yourself “I can’t afford $xx.xx to buy a puppy” then don’t.
> ...


I would rather save my money for vet expenses than spend $5000 for a puppy. I've spent more than that fixing sick dogs but would never spend it on buying one.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

TaZoR said:


> You're right, not everyone feels an attachment like we on this forum feel. There were sooo many bad decisions from people of all tax brackets. More than once well to do clients chose euthanasia over having a drain put in just to spare their carpets, furniture and car interiors. Just didnt want to be bothered with the inconvenience. Incontinence without even a diagnosis was another death sentence for some.
> 
> *Financial status can also change drastically in ten years or so.* I couldnt afford an expensive puppy but would go above and beyond what many affluent people would to see that proper care is given on any occasion. *There will always be rotten owners no matter what their bank statement says. We cant save the world*.


 This is so true :/


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## Charmander52 (Oct 21, 2011)

Jo_in_TX said:


> For some folks purchasing a $2,500 dog is simply not a priority even if they could find the money. Kids, college tuition, braces, music lessons, etc. are all higher priorities. That's not to say that we don't spend money on the dogs that we do have and love and have become a part of our family. We do. We just don't spend that much money to acquire them.
> 
> I feed good quality food and am spending a decent amount of money on a private trainer because I want to do everything I can to give Teddy a great start in life and make her a good fit in our family and society, and we'll take care of her health needs to the best of our ability.
> 
> And she is as loved and wanted as any dog here bought at any price.


:thumbup: Agree.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/170211-how-much-dogs-life-worth.html

This was a very interesting thread.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Totally agree!

Zefra was REALLY sick awhile back and it scared the crap out of me! I had to rush her to the e-vet... the whole thing cost over $1700 plus medications and follow up appointments at our regular vet. A few days later Stark became ill as well so off to the vet we went.. 

I am just starting out and still paying back a mountain of student loans, but you can be sure I have the money for my dogs if the need arises. A month later I had a sick cat who cost me almost double what I spent on the dogs.. I ended up loosing my kitty after fighting along side her but the money was never an issue or thought.


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## minerva_deluthe (May 6, 2012)

Jo_in_TX said:


> For some folks purchasing a $2,500 dog is simply not a priority even if they could find the money. Kids, college tuition, braces, music lessons, etc. are all higher priorities. That's not to say that we don't spend money on the dogs that we do have and love and have become a part of our family. We do. We just don't spend that much money to acquire them.
> 
> I feed good quality food and am spending a decent amount of money on a private trainer because I want to do everything I can to give Teddy a great start in life and make her a good fit in our family and society, and we'll take care of her health needs to the best of our ability.
> 
> And she is as loved and wanted as any dog here bought at any price.


I agree.

I've heard the 'if you can't buy a $1500 dog you shouldn't have a dog' so many times, and it's silly IMO. Affording $1500 for a dog PLUS $1500 in savings for health issues is actually very different, in fact double, just having the money for health issues. Makes no sense to assume one must have both or will have neither, right? 

I thought about buying a $1500 purebred and decided against it, both because I couldn't justify the cost in my budget at this point (I am a student), and because when I looked into health insurance actually I found mixed breeds were cheaper, leading me to look further and I found information that they are also generally healthier than purebreds. So I got a mostly GSD mixed breed pup.

If she needed health care? I have a credit card, can borrow from friends. I would do that, up to a point. That point would not be $5000, to be perfectly honest. It would probably be around $2000.

People can be willing to pay for health services and not want to spend huge money to buy a dog. It happens, there are logical reasons for it.

And IMO one is not a bad dog owner if they wouldn't spend 5 or 10 grand in an emergency. That is unrealistic.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mrs.K said:


> Since when is putting a dog down cheap? I paid over 300 Dollars and would not consider that cheap at all. Maybe in the long run but right there and then you have to pay the price of putting a dog down, and with cremation, etc... it can add up quickly.
> 
> Not speaking of the emotional cost.


I think they meant cheap as in cheaper then actually saving the dog. By no means is it cheap. I paid close to $500 for my lab, that I had for only two years. Only two years and I was a mess


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

minerva_deluthe said:


> And IMO one is not a bad dog owner if they wouldn't spend 5 or 10 grand in an emergency. That is unrealistic.


Depending on the situation and the age of the dog I would spend whatever it took to save them..This is an ongoing battle in my house, but its my house and my dogs, so I win I don't think its unrealistic at all, its a smart move to have pet insurance now a days to prevent these costs. IMO, the dogs are part of the family and as much as money is needed to make the world go around, its just money and I could never let anything that is living/breathing die because of money. I could never live with myself if I didn't try everything possible.


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## KindnessCounts (Jun 27, 2012)

Money vs. love? In general, I will do whatever it takes to keep my pets healthy.

My first husband (now an ex-husband) refused to fix a broken leg on one of our cats because of the cost. I shopped around and got the cost down and he relented. It was a 10 yr old cat with no other health issues. I would have done whatever was needed.

I fostered a mother dog and her 8 newborn pups. One of the pups had a seizure and I took her to the ER and paid out of pocket to have her looked at. The shelter wouldn't reimburse me because they hadn't pre-approved. Still, what am I going to do with an 8 week puppy that was seizing? I don't regret it one bit. The puppy ended up not making it but I know I did everything I could for her. 

My own dogs got sick because of the illnesses brought in by the foster dog and puppies. I spent quite a bit to get them healthy again. I won't foster any more because I want my own dogs to stay healthy. 

The bottom line for me is that I will spend whatever I need to on my pets. But it will always be after considering the dogs welfare. If doing something will leave them with a poor quality of life and they are near their full life span, it wouldn't make sense. If they are otherwise healthy and treatment can regain most of the quality of life--where do I sign?

I have no savings account for my pets. But I will do whatever it takes for them. They give me unconditional love. Taking care of them is the least that I can do.

Just my two cents.


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## rshkr (Feb 9, 2012)

i paid $800 for my dog, if i'll spend $1500 for vet bills i'll take him to the back bring my les baer and put a cor-bon between the eyes. use my $1500 intended for the vet to get another $800 pup....maybe i'll get 2 for $750 each!









 
am just kidding you guys are so serious


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

...so going to sit back an watch it unfold from here...


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

opcorn:


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## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

*Biting my tongue on how I really would like to respond on this, but if this is your responce I wouls be very comcerned about the dogs in your care. You should not be a owner of any aninal. *


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

rshkr said:


> i paid $800 for my dog, if i'll spend $1500 for vet bills i'll take him to the back bring my les baer and put a cor-bon between the eyes. use my $1500 intended for the vet to get another $800 pup....maybe i'll get 2 for $750 each!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Watch it - probably not the thread to play a little joke on.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

In my mind there is a LOT of difference between:
1) I don't want to pay $xx.xx
and 
2) I can't afford to pay $xx.xx

I can understand people not wanting to pay over an amount they have set in their head that should be the most they pay for a dog, I have a very low amount set in my head for what I should pay for many things!!

But saying "I can't afford" to me means that there is really no spare income in the household and/or the person may not be willing to change their lifestyle in order to have that spare income. Perhaps it simply means for many that they need to sit down and think about all their resources before adding a pet to their household.

One of the reasons I kept a food cost spreadsheet for feeding Dante for so long was to really have a handle on if I could afford to feed 2 dogs. I knew as soon as I got Dante that I was going to want a 2nd GSD but wasn't sure if I truly would be able to afford that second one. 
Of course since Dante was 7 years old when I got Kaos I had a lot of time to figure it out :rofl:

So after reading through some of the responses I still stand by my statement but should add that having resources that you wouldn't use for just everyday life can/will/does/might make a difference. One of those for me is my Visa Card that 99% of the time has a $0.00 balance and the other 1% of the time is paying off a vet bill, thank goodness I haven't had to do that in awhile!.
Another is my mom - If I got in a complete bind I know she'd float me a loan, as someone else said I've never abused parental financial assistance.
I wouldn't be against looking into Care Credit if I needed more 


This weekend just really struck home again as I asked the vet "What would you tell your single income sister with a Mortgage she should do?" that making a decision on pet care could be so painful if it had to be made solely by what I have in my wallet (or could get in my wallet) and not by what makes sense for their health and my wallet combined.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

To be fair, though, dogs are a bit like children in that, if you wait until you can completely afford every possible circumstance, you will never get one.

I'm not rich by any means. I purchased through a responsible breeder, but price was a serious consideration. I wasn't going to be able to justify spending thousands of dollars to purchase my pup.

Still, Gabe is well-bred, well-fed, has regular visits to the vet, and enough toys to keep him happy and my house delightfully cluttered. We're happy the way things are, and if anything happens...that's what my CareCredit card is for.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I can't afford every possible circumstance - Most people I know personally can't, the strides made in medical care mean the options there are now in veterinary medicine compared to even a decade ago are huge and the cost goes with that.

Justify vs Afford - I wonder if you're saying there what I said a bit ago, want to pay vs afford to pay.

I didn't want to pay $5,000.00 for a pup, couldn't justify that  Thankfully Lee's pups aren't $5,000.00. 

I really wanted a dog my entire life and looked at getting one a number of times over the years. But a few things always stopped me.
Where I was living and where would I be living in a few years
What would I do if the dog needed serious vet care (I had horses and cats growing up, and worked for a vet for a couple years through a high school program)
And so though I hated it, I waited...and waited...and waited. It was HARD to wait!
Finally in 2002 I bought my house (yard was #1 on the list because I knew I had a dog in my future!) and a couple years later bought Dante.

So you're right, people can't wait until they can afford every possible circumstance but people should be aware of what can happen, like that $5,000 the first 2 years with Dante, and have a plan of what they can do if faced with it.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Jack's Dad said:


> I guess many shouldn't have children either.
> 
> Some children have accidents, illness or injuries that can bankrupt their parents.


The main difference here is that a hospital cannot legally refuse emergency services to a human.

Vets can/will/do.

We've been lucky. We haven't spent more than a couple hundred dollars in the past several YEARS on our dogs - and that includes the litter of puppies.

The ONLY shots I do is Rabies and I don't use HW meds.

That being said I know I'll have a BIG hit coming up this fall. MY Cocker needs to go in for his Senior blood work. He's 13 and just starting to show signs of possible health issues. My two Crested puppies have retained puppy teeth that are not going to come out on their own (somewhat typical of the breed) and my oldest Crested needs her teeth cleaned (also typical - even when raw fed).

I have a vet that I use for non-emergency things (like teeth) who is MUCH cheaper. It's an hour drive but it's worth the money savings.

I have a vet close by for emergencies and small things - like Rabies shots.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Barb E said:


> In my mind there is a LOT of difference between:
> 1) I don't want to pay $xx.xx
> and
> 2) I can't afford to pay $xx.xx
> ...


It is all just semantics. Every time, I will say "I can't afford" a $5000.00 puppy. If to you that means I won't. Well whatever. I don't look at it that way. I have two kids in college . Making sure they have food, books, etc. comes first. I can and have spent that much on vet bills to try to save a beloved dog. Even tho I will say I can't "afford" that either. I do it. Because our dogs are part of the family and they get treated as such.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Anitsisqua said:


> To be fair, though, dogs are a bit like children in that, if you wait until you can completely afford every possible circumstance, you will never get one.


I agree. Also it's amazing how we can stretch and make do when it's not really a choice. I've never been able to examine my lifestyle and find areas where I can cut back significantly BUT the second something happens like I add a dog or we have a medical emergency or the van breaks down...it always gets worked out fairly quickly and with no fallout.

I guess I try not to overthink everything. I love my dogs, they love me. They aren't just a part of my lifestyle, they ARE my lifestyle. I won't sit down and analyze my finances and run spreadsheets and such ad naseum because that's just not me. We just do what we do and somehow everyone gets properly fed and cared for and I end up repeatedly doing multiple dog activities in multiple states in the same weekend, lol.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

Last year, when Odin got very sick, it happened to be a Friday. Took him to the Vet in the morning, again in the evening, following by a trip to the ER- lots of testing done, we got uber mad at the Vet (long story) at that particular ER so we took him to another ER - some test done- they didn't have blood so we took him to a 3rd ER. He passed away on Saturday at 2 pm. 

All that cost about 4,000. We would have gladly spent more if Odin had a chance to live. 

We do not have pet insurance, I just don't think they are worth it.


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## TMarie (Jul 6, 2006)

I kind of agree with Barb. I do think it can be more about how much one is committed to the lifetime care of their dog though.

Many people are not prepared for an emergency, and it can catch you off guard. I am one of the few that does have a savings for my dogs. I am a planner and very organised. But, I don't have anyone in my life that I could borrow from, so I need to make sure I plan ahead. The thing is, a savings doesn't have to be huge. But if you start putting a little bit away every payday, it does add up. I for one, do not use credit cards, and refuse to. Knowing that, I make sure I put money away just in case. 

What gets me is when I come on the forums and read threads where someone posts they think their dog broke their leg, or their very young puppy has all the symptoms for parvo, but won't take them to the vet because they can't afford it. Or the first thing they say after going to the vet is how expensive it was, and they couldn't afford much more. Everyone should know vet care isn't cheap.

I've had a heck of a time at the vets this year. Jarie is barely 6 years old and we have spent thousands every every year we have had her, because she has some very special needs. That was minor compared to this year. She's been battling a very serious staph infection since January. She just came home this past weekend from spending 3 and a half weeks in the hospital. Right after she went into the hospital, my 8 year old aussie was just coming home from spending 2 weeks in the hospital after having a major tumor removed (cancer). Before that, my other aussie became very sick in a matter of weeks, many expensive tests and MRI ran to discover he had a brain stem tumor. (we lost him)

What I'm getting at, is you can only plan so much, my situation is probably unique with Jarie, due to her special needs, and her vet appts are still scheduled for every weekend, she is still on meds and not 100 percent better. I wouldn't even want to mention the money we've spent since January, and mostly in the past 2 months on medical care for the dogs. The money isn't important. What is important, is I committed to her when I brought her into my life, and I look at her quality of life. She's an awesome dog!

You never know when an emergency can happen, saving even a tiny bit adds up, and making sure you have a good relationship with your vet helps.


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## Madjukes (Jul 1, 2012)

I totally disagree. As someone in a similar situation to DTS, I don't have a lot of money. The $$$ spent to buy an expensive puppy is $$$ I could have spent on his emergency procedures, if he needed it. I feed him the best of foods, spend considerable time with him every day, invest in his well-being, training, and socialization, and have a very happy and healthy relationship with him.

I can't afford to pay over a thousand for a puppy. But I can pay a thousand to save my best friend.


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## gaia_bear (May 24, 2012)

I didn't spend a lot on Gaia, not because I couldn't afford it but because the opportunity kind of fell in to my lap. 

I agree that some people don't think of all the expenses when bringing home a new family member. There's more than just the initial costs of buying/adopting/rescuing, you're making a life long financial commitment for the health and well being of your puppy. Aside from the vet; food, toys, grooming, training, boarding and the little things we don't think about, all add up pretty quickly. 

The day I brought her home, I opened a seperate savings account on my bank account for the "Puppy Fund" and I put a certain percentage of what used to be my "fun" money in there for that just in case moment. 

Every little penny counts and will make a difference someday, hopefully I never need it.


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## Charmander52 (Oct 21, 2011)

Madjukes said:


> I totally disagree. As someone in a similar situation to DTS, I don't have a lot of money. The $$$ spent to buy an expensive puppy is $$$ I could have spent on his emergency procedures, if he needed it. I feed him the best of foods, spend considerable time with him every day, invest in his well-being, training, and socialization, and have a very happy and healthy relationship with him.
> 
> I can't afford to pay over a thousand for a puppy. But I can pay a thousand to save my best friend.


Exactly this for me, too. Given my situation right now, there's no way I can justify spending 1000+ on JUST the puppy's price/fee/whatever. But I would be willing to pay for vet care however I could. Short of committing a crime. I think I could do it without much trouble, too. I don't DO things, I don't GO places... I only spend money on what I have to, like car insurance, gas. OK, I admit, sometimes I'll buy a TV season lol! But not often.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

All we are saying is, plan ahead and build a security pillow, i.e. savings.

Planning ahead, with dogs is so important. There is always something that can come up. Treat it like another bill, don't count the money in. It's the "dog bill" or whatever you want to call it. Make it an allotment so you don't even see the money go out of the account. Even if it's only five to ten bucks a month, it will help you in the long run. 

Technically, I can afford the expensive dog food, right now. I can afford cable, right now, I can afford many things right now, but I don't because I know that my husband might get the boot from the Army because he hasn't gotten promoted yet. 

Could I afford to feed them the best of the best? Right now, yes. But what about in half a year? Is he still in the Army then? Do we still have a good income? Possibly not and that is what I'm planning for right now. So every single cent I can spare goes into the dog fund because I have NO IDEA whats going to happen to us. 

There are priorities. My first priority is to keep the dogs in the long run, without having to place them with somebody else. 

What I noticed with a lot of people, they only plan short term. They don't have the bigger picture. My husband is guilty of it and I'm not sure if it is an American thing but lots of Americans I came across, live on a short-term basis. They want a dog, they get it. Right now, they are not deployed, single, live in a small room. But in a year or so, they do get deployed, they go into the field, they don't have family where they are stationed and no one to care for the dog. 
Short-Term thinking, even though they KNOW they are going away on a deployment, they have GOT TO GET THAT DOG, NOW!

And than you see the craigslist add for the same dog that the dog needs to go. 

That's another way of saying, right now, you can't afford a dog timewise because you are not in the situation of keeping a dog. You have no family close by, no friends, you will be deployed in a year, so why the heck would you take onto a dog now, just so you have to get rid of it again? 

You have got to think on a long-term basis. You can't predict everything but what always helps me is to plan for the worst-case scenario. It may sound stupid but that's what you have to do. Plan off of the worst-case scenario and you come up with some pretty darn good action-plans that can give you not only peace of mind, knowing you've done your best to prevent bad situations but also some form of direction and knowledge of how to handle future situations better.


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

It seems the majority of responders here would have had to get possums instead of puppies like the commercial. However it also seems like despite the fact that we haven't got $10,000 in a just in case fund our dogs will receive all the love and care necessary... I think despite the numbers on a bank statement we can afford our dogs through sacrafice.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Madjukes said:


> I can't afford to pay over a thousand for a puppy. But I can pay a thousand to save my best friend.


:thumbup:


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

I can't afford a $2500 dog. I'd love to be able to, but can't.

To me, can't afford = putting yourself in debt. I couldn't afford Strauss's ear surgeries.

He got them. 

They're on a credit card, which will finally be paid off in two months. The surgeries amount to $1000. You know how much I paid for the actual dog 8 years ago? $250. I've already spent "more than the dog is worth" monetarily.

Emotionally, that dog is priceless to me.

We live paycheck to paycheck, have had some close calls, but nobody here goes without good food, any medical care they may need, and love. We sacrifice what we can to care for our animals.


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## grace23 (Jan 26, 2012)

llombardo said:


> Depending on the situation and the age of the dog I would spend whatever it took to save them..This is an ongoing battle in my house, but its my house and my dogs, so I win I don't think its unrealistic at all, its a smart move to have pet insurance now a days to prevent these costs. IMO, the dogs are part of the family and as much as money is needed to make the world go around, its just money and I could never let anything that is living/breathing die because of money. I could never live with myself if I didn't try everything possible.


Maybe ... though you might want to compare pet assure with "standard" pet insurance ... I have used it for almost two years.


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

Liesje said:


> I won't say that there's a specific dollar amount you have to pay to get a good dog. It depends on what people want. If you want a show line dog with 10 VAs in the 4-gen pedigree, all SchH3, and all low ZW scores then yeah you need $2500+.
> 
> I've paid over $2K for a dog (and never regretted it for a second) and now am "shopping" for a free dog on Craigslist. I'm looking for a small terrier mix that is high energy, not fearful/timid, likes to engage with toys, and preferably spayed (intact or neutered male is fine). I don't care about exact breed, papers, where the dog originally came from, whether it has any training....I'm just looking for a certain "type" of dog with a few characteristics and I can do the rest. I've actually found a few really nice prospects.


 
LOL! I'm telling you, once you get a terrier they have a way of wiggling themselves into your heart and you can't live without them, I got mine "just for rodent control", yeah right !! I never thought I could fall so hard for "little" dogs, completely head over heels, their intensity and energy is just addicting. :0 I now couldn't not have one.


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

It's funny how so many people assume that everyone who has large dogs MUST be rolling in money.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

it's not about rolling in money, it's about being prepared!

You don't have to have much money to be prepared. You can still build up an emergency fund even if you don't have much money to begin with. Every single cent can count in the long run.


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## Shaina (Apr 2, 2011)

CareCredit is my pet credit card for emergencies. When Versailles had a bloat scare, I got online, got approved, and now I keep it paid off just in case. If I leave town, I leave my CC card with my dog.. if something happens, use it, no matter what the circumstance is.

I paid $1300 for her.. I'd gladly pay another $5,000 in surgeries if it meant losing her (and this is coming from somebody who barely makes more than minimum wage!)


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

LARHAGE said:


> LOL! I'm telling you, once you get a terrier they have a way of wiggling themselves into your heart and you can't live without them, I got mine "just for rodent control", yeah right !! I never thought I could fall so hard for "little" dogs, completely head over heels, their intensity and energy is just addicting. :0 I now couldn't not have one.



So true!! When my husband (then boyfriend) came home with Chloe May, a Rat Terrier, as a "surprise" for me, I thought OH. NO. I am not a "little dog" person! 
This is going to be interesting....but I quickly fell in love with the little fire ball.
If you've ever wanted to see something live life to the fullest and do it at the speed of light, get yourself a terrier.


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## iloveshepherds (Jul 10, 2012)

Planning is definietly a good idea. 
I had pet insurance and a credit card for my previous shepherd.....she ended up getting cancer and going through chemo treatments. Pet insurance paid a lot....but if it wasnt for that credit card...I would have borrowed from relatives.
I still have the credit card......and got Care.credit. I decided not to have pet insurance anymore......still debating if thats a good idea or not.
But at least I know I have emergency funds for all of my animals. (5 total)
gives me piece of mind...


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

And today we got to tack on another $300+ for Dante when he tore one of his dew claws

So that's almost $1200.00 in 4 days


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Planning is swell. And futile. 

I've had dogs when I borrowed to pay the rent. I've had dogs as a self supporting student. I've had dogs during prolonged unemployment. I've had dogs when a vet bill meant scraping together cash somehow or running up the credit card. I didn't wait until I owned a home - I lived in the best places I could find that I could afford that would take dogs. I'm not going to put any one down for not "waiting" until they can afford a dog. I will climb all over their butts for letting cutie pie reproduce when they can barely afford to feed her. I will bitch at them when they deny the dog health care because they won't find a way to get the money. I'll dislike it when they cycle through dog after dog because they don't have time/can't afford or have some other excuse. 
Some things you just have to do when it's needed by you or by the animal. (ie, get one, quit the job, go on a car trip). 
If you are planning to walk away from a job in this economy, I'll caution you that reentry may not be easy. If you are going to blow grocery money to afford a dog, I'll tell you that dogs can be expensive. (cheaper than horses however) I'll also tell you that it is a living creature and you need to be responsible for it. (I can be a real drag.)
What am I saying? That my circumstances were different than Barb's. But I'm equally nutty and probably share some of her priorities regarding dogs. 
The folks that can afford spiffy this and spiffy that and can't afford to spend X on a dog -- I don't share the same priorities with them.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Barb don't feel bad,,Just paid off Masi's bill and walked out owing another 200+..Jynx decided to dislocate her hip Ya know how they say 'easy come easy go",,well I'm thinking "hard to come and easy go">


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