Rescue Dog Needs Permanent Home
Decatur Metro | October 19, 2012 | 12:55 pm
Julie writes in…
Almost two weeks ago, a pit/lab mix puppy was tied to a tree with a cable cord and rope to a tree in Winnona Park, and left in the middle of the night. The neighborhood prevented him from being picked up by Animal Control, because he would certainly be euthanized. We have been taking care of the pup, who is really sweet and loving, but can no longer foster him because our sweet family cat will not return home with him here. I really need help finding this pup a foster or permanent home. With the help of neighbors and AUDI organization, I have been able to get him fully vetted and neutered. Please Help by getting the word out about this pup!! He has scars on his leg from most likely being hit by a car, according to the vet, and is in need of lots of love. I don’t know his history, but I would guess he was neglected. Considering all he’s probably been through, I am surprised by how loving he is.
With all these dog articles, makes me really want to rescue one – BUT, how much realistically does it cost? I’ve never had one before. Could some of you give me some ideas of expenses so I can have an idea? (Vet fees, food, etc etc)
I ran the numbers before getting a second dog, and estimated that my annual total for one dog was just under $2,000. Now, I go to an awesome vet (big love for the folks over at Clairmont Animal Hospital) whereas there are some low-cost alternatives (Pet Supermarket routinely runs low-cost vaccine clinics). Also, I feed the little darlings Iams lamb and rice kibble, and there’s the occasional cost of pet-sitting or boarding. If you have friends who can watch your dog, and perhaps you watch theirs in return, you could save money. But you don’t want to skimp on things like heartworm preventive and flea control. You could certainly spend more, but also might easily spend less.
You’ll also probably want to allow for some basic obedience training, but that’s not too expensive and is a one-time expense. But as an enthusiastic dog owner, I cannot emphasize enough that any financial outlay required will be easily dwarfed by the love and companionship you share with a pup. It sounds cheesy and cliche, I know, but you really can’t understand it until you’ve experienced it.
+1 Million! I can’t imagine life without my sweet boy now!
You know the saying… “Be the person your dog thinks you are.” That pretty much sums it up. A dog is an expense (and you need to think about that), but a dog is a very Zen and wonderful thing to have in your life. No body loves you like your dog.
You can save on boarding by taking your dog with you (beach dogs are so fun!) or trading boarding with a friend. You can save on immunizations and flea/heart worm meds by taking your dog to the monthly clinic that they have at Pet Supermarket over on N. Decatur. I know they charge a lot less than $100… seems like I recall it just being $45 or something like that. We buy Beneful, which seems to keep our dogs happy and healthy but isn’t as expensive as the premium stuff.
I think you could get in for a good bit under $2000 a year if you look for ways to save that don’t threaten your dog’s health. You do have to think about increasing vet costs as they get older though.
Several hundred dollars a year for wellness checkup, vaccinations, flea and heartworm control, and several hundred more for food (that’s for a 30-lb dog if you don’t go the super-premium route). The cost of food varies widely, but there have been some scary incidents with cheap food in recent years, so it’s a matter of what you need to spend to keep your doggie healthy and also keep your own peace of mind. Overnight boarding can run close to $20/day, especially someplace with indoor/outdoor runs and a decent amount of attention and TLC. So factor that into your business travel and vacation plans. (Appallingly, pet boarding is not a deductible business expense!) Years down the road, expense will increase if it develops chronic conditions. My dog had arthritis when she got older, and also became increasingly prone to skin allergies which required prescription shampoo and, a few times, antibiotics when an infection got ahead of us.
I’ve had dogs off and on my whole life and absolutely adore them. But you are right and responsible to think about the economics and approach it with eyes wide open. Obviously, one reason our shelters and foster pet families are overflowing is because people get pets and then find they can’t afford to keep them.
We’ve adopted a Pit/Lab and a Boxer/Rhodesian, They are the largest dogs I’ve ever had, and the most active. This is good, as I have to walk/jog at least 3 miles a day or they start wrestling from the extra energy. They are like having teenage boys in the house! We mix IAMS dry mix and wet food together twice a day and it really makes a difference to their health and fitness.
I’d say $2,000 per year is on the low side but possible. There are some good tips on savings in this thread. The Vet bills are the major factor followed by food. Food costs are dependent on the size of your dog.
The pit/lab mix in the picture is gorgeous. Ours is very sweet and loves to run and jog. He’ll do it all day long.
Two things to consider though.
Be mentally prepared to pick up their poop with your hand in a little bag and carry it around with you until you can PROPERLY dispose of it. This is very difficult for some people.
All dogs can be very sweet yet react instinctively to “aggressive” signals from small animals and children. Injuries can happen very quickly with a strong breed in such a situation. So be sure to supervise play around small kids and animals.
Try calling Atlanta Pet Rescue. They are great about putting dogs on great foster homes until they can be adopted. You might try Dearborn Vets on College Ave. They are no kill also and they find good homes for abandoned animals. I wish you good luck and the poor little animal who will be lost without you.
Thank you so much Srdecatur
Thanks for all the great info re: cost – a commitment good to know in advance for sure. I bet the benefits are so much too.
A quick calculation in mind. ($100 counseling session * 12) + ($75 massage session * 12) + Medication and other stress relief activities …. may easily go over $2000 (though insurance might cover some if we’re lucky). Multiple this by the number of people in the family, and the decrease of every day stress level (in the morning getting kids out to school, the moment you come back in, when you miss the days you always got to hold your baby…) Sounds pretty sweet:)
The added future costs if there’s health problems was a good point and reminder.
Thanks again!
Please make sure that you have a fenced backyard, or something equivalent, or know you’ll be able to walk the dog everyday. And know that you’ll be around–having a pet, then leaving for many long business trips isn’t the best scenerio, even if you find a good boarding establishment.
Also, you guys forgot: teething repairs, oops accidents in the house– (minor, but it happens!) dog hair in your vaccum cleaner and on your clothes every day.
The unconditional love a dog can give is worth all of this tenfold–but it’s also worth knowing upfront.
Also, we found having a dog was EXCELLENT preparation for having kids.
All true,Cranky. But we elected to get furbabies in lieu of kids, so it’s all worked out great! 😀
Furbabies are good kids! But cleaning up poop, etc. and having to be a responsible doggie parent really helped us ease into “human” parenting. Maybe too more information, but when you’ve cleaned up the vomit from your grass-eating fur baby on your new rug, you’re pretty much prepared and more laid back, I might say, for the general mess that accompanies a newborn human!
Pup got adopted today woo-hoo!!!
Yay! Great news.