I got a rescue -mixed bredd just to avoid some of the more bree specific complications....ended up costing me $8K....I live on a very limited income and went into debt for 4 years paying it off.....I would do it again in a heartbeat even if I have to live off of mac and cheese for 4 years!!

I'm down $2-3k in the past year on my two rescues, including shots, speuter, one emergency and a couple of "oh god is that normal" false alarms (new mom-itis on my part). I took them from an acquaintance so no rescue discounts at the vets or anything.

Also, around here it is hard to find a rental that allows dogs, so maybe we should count the mortgage? Being able to have a dog was a big consideration in buying vs continuing to rent! LOL

I would do it again 10 times over, they make the house a home.

I hear ya. Last year the pup is going gangbusters in the back yard after squirrels and stabbed himself in the side on a branch...$400... Last week he's determined as always to get the mailman, catches his back outer toenail in the fabric on the old couch in front of the window... $257. Seems you can't go into a vet office anymore with less than $200

Teach your dog to love the mailman...

Health care is expensive. Sometimes we forget that because most of us have insurance for ourselves and we don't pay the full cost. But with pets, you pay the whole cost, unless you're one of the 2% who have health insurance for your pet. I tell people that if you can't spend $500 at any given moment for a minor health problem, probably shouldn't get a pet. Not to mention the routine health care like annual exam, lab work, heartworm prevention, flea control, spay/neuter. Adds up quick!

They're worth it though!

It is a good idea to have pet insurance if you can swing the monthly payments but it's still a gamble, not all policies are worth it. My stray cat cost me over 2K just to get her on board with all her dental problems. Eventually had them all extracted. There's always vet bills when you least expect it. We adopted a shelter cat to replace the cat DD took with her after she got married, after all he was bonded to her, LOL. Within weeks, the shelter cat got sick and DH, the cat hater, was so attached to him that he agreed to try to save his life from feline leukemia, and after transfusions and hospitalizations he didn't make it. We never complain about the expense as we consider them part of our family and we don't turn our back on them. They deserve all we can do for them.

Buddy was my $2,000.00 free dog. He was worth every penny.

I always say if you get a puppy and have it for it's natural life span figure on spending $10,000 over the course of it's life. Of course I say that half jokingly, but only half.....if you are a real dog lover as I suppose everyone on this forum is ...or else wouldn't be here.....the food, medicine, possible operations involved, pet care (boarding, dog walks, etc.) toys, treats, beds, crates, leashes, harnesses...well....you get the point...a special vehicle (don't laugh..you know who you are!) to haul your dogs around in ...all ADD UP!

That said, best money ever spent.

Duane

as if routine stuff isn't expensive enough with 3 great danes, yesterday i spent another $120 on king sized mattress pad and memory foam pad to add to their/my bed. oh, that doesn't count the $214 i spent last week on another klik klack sofa to expand our sleeping area so i am not awakened at 11 p.m. when ashley decides to come to bed and bently and pea are in her spot. when that happens, she stands at my face and BOOFS at me until i make them move over. now, i have wall-to-wall bed and she is a happy camper and i am eating bread and drinking water for the next 2 months!

We can only afford the one peke......

lol... I was only whining, and I swear I would mortage my house for these monsters. But gosh darnit, dogs are expensive. I just hope people realize that when they adopt, dogs are NOT CHEAP.

BTW... Ginger is doing great and I hope her drain is coming out of here ear this week. :)

You guys are great :)

lol.... also.... rusty was my malinois rescue 10 yrs ago. He was 3 yrs old when I got him. We kept trying to figure out how he kept getting out of our fenced in back yard.

DUH... malinois! tough feet! he could climb a chain link fence like a jit monkey -- paw over paw!

We had to replace all of our back yard chain link with privacy fence just for him!

LOL gotta love these expensive "mutts"

At least we don't have to put them through college.

Our Akita (who has glaucoma) just had to have cataract surgery......another $3500. plus the $300 in meds every month.
Good thing we love her so much - but I need to get another job.....