Some very interesting recent replies here. I did not start this thread to criticise anyone (as I've already stated) but more to question whether people give enough thought to the possible extended costs BEFORE getting a dog. Once we've got them we are saddled really aren't we!

But I am right now living just next door to a young couple who obviously did NOT give thought to extraordinary expenses of owning a dog.

They took the dog on from a rescue and to give them their due - they have kept up its vacs, had the rabies jab, had it micro-chipped and got it a passport so it could travel with them when they leave Cyprus (young Romanian couple and really nice people - I will be sorry to see them go and am throwing a farewell bash for them tomorrow).

They had no CLUE how much it costs to ship a dog to the UK. It is around £600 just for the fare and handling fees. And dog has to go world cargo if UK is the destination, cannot travel in the cabin. Plus, at the mo, one or two of the few airlines that will fly them are only flying to Manchester (they are going to Golders Green in London) because of too much freight in hold with backlogs from Xmas.

Having only flown between Cyprus and Romania or Bulgaria previously and the fare for a dog in the cabin being just 70 euros, they were totally unprepared for this huge bill.

Arrangements have been made for the woman's mother in Romania to take the dog. But to fly a dog to Romania it has to be 'accompanied'. And they are not going to Romania. They have found someone who will accompany the dog in one month's time. They now need a 'carer' for the dog in the meantime. They cannot afford boarding - around 400+ for four weeks. They cannot afford to send the dog unaccompanied as cargo - even more expensive.

So ... all their problems with this dog are financial. The only reason the dog is chipped and passported is because they always intended taking it with them. They have even found accom in UK that will allow the dog. They hadn't anticipated the cost of taking a dog to UK with them. Then, having found someone to care for it until they can afford to send for it, they now cannot afford to have it boarded in the meantime.

It's a really lovely dog, but an entire male and not 100% housetrained. If Bella wasn't so iffy about other dogs being in our apartment I would take this dog for a month. But I prepared well for owning a dog in every respect and I am just not prepared to do something that could well upset my dog's equilibrium (maybe permanently) to help out people who just didn't do their homework, however nice they are. Not when I go to so much trouble to make sure my dog is 'covered' until either her daying day or my dying day and beyond.

It's very sad. In the same way I feel very sad for the people whose problems I read about on here that are caused because they either cannot afford ins. or haven't sufficient savings to cover big outlay or who do have insurance but cannot pay upfront first or even sometimes cover the excess.

*not all that long ago I took this dog to the vet and bought the Fucidin recommended for a sore patch on its back - thinking it might well prevent it getting the clean bill of health needed to fly. Hoping to get it cleared up more quickly than with just regular bathing.

Fascinating thread

No I did not calculatei costs and affordability before taking either of my dogs in.

When you see a dog chained up alone and hardly fed....no thought for anything but the need

When I was new to Ireland I gave my chicken stew to a starving cat at the door..Not stopped since and it is 12 years now

Yes I am dirt poor and no I don't vaccinate or insure.. Been very lucky and careful indeed.

Living so far from any vet makes you self reliant and aware of other ways to heal.
So far have been able to get vouchers for neutering for cats and dogs
I remember so many old ones whose only company was a dog and who would blench at the lists of costs some put out ( not here I hasten to add) One cat rescue I know does the same. Makes it impossible for old ones to take a cat, when they can give the best of caring homes and all the blessings a pet can give

Never had to use a formal rescue as so many dogs and cats in need here
I now have a third cat to feed... dumped here.

After searching around, I have two butchers who supply bones chicken backs etc, sporadic but still a help. I also get free day old bread for myself and them and cook vegetables etc with chicken.

Does nt have to cost the earth any more than ti does to feed myself. On a tiny pension...

So be at peace with however you care. Please be at peace as I am now

I would say there certainly are ways to economize on owning dogs or cats. We have clinics locally that are reduced price and even free vaccinations yearly offered by the county. For serious things we do have a private vet just in case. But as Rosebud said you learn to do some things on your own. An example is one of our senior cats had an infected bite, which turned into an abscess.
Without getting too gruesome I knew what the vet would do. Clean out the infection, trim the dead skin and fur, continue irrigating the discharge and keeping the area clean. Now a month later her face is healing nicely and the whiskers will grow back.
We do not buy top of the line kibble but supplement with people food. Their toys are my biggest investment. Better to spend a bit more for durable than junk that will be shredded in minutes. But even toys can be found at discount. There certainly are ways to economize and still be a great dog owner, it just takes research.

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You can't treat everything yourself though. I would say my lot hardly ever visit the vet, they're a healthy bunch and I don't like filling them with chemicals for the likes of fleas etc. Luckily they seem to avoid fleas but a cautionary note for those who believe you can get by on a shoestring. I lost my female Dobermann a few months ago to cancer at age 8. She'd always been as fit as the proverbial flea. From the onset of symptoms to pts was around 2 to 3 weeks maximum. She had x rays, necessary for diagnosis and no treatment other than diagnostic blood tests, pain killers and antibiotics and was pts as soon as we knew there was no hope. That very short course of diagnostic tests and treatment cost me £1600 although that did include cremation and a simple cardboard tube for scattering the ashes. The cost wasn't a problem for me and she wasn't insured which wasn't a problem either and hasn't made me have second thoughts. However I don't live on a shoestring and frequently end of life costs are very expensive.

True and that's why we keep an empty credit card for just such emergencies then we pay it back as quick as we can to avoid interest.

I put it on my credit card too Julie which I think is perfectly reasonable. most people don't have that kind of dosh stashed under the mattress. It was only when I added it up to pay it off that I realised what it had cost. I do think people, no matter how skint need to be prepared. Rio wasn't showing any signs of illness, we (me and the vet) thought she'd probably broken a tooth and 8 isn't considered old. So it can happen at any age.

I do not have money under the mattress or hidden under any floor tiles.

What I do have is a vet who will take payments, and, if it came to it, would not charge to save the life of a pet.

Or give them a peaceful and dignified end.

And for that I am grateful.

Having dogs in the family most of my life i knew it wouldn't be cheap so cost wasn't my main concern. When i eventually got my own dog, I had sleepless nights knowing that once I had taken on that responsibilty there was no going back ! In hindsight I did the right thing waiting til I was a bit older I just didn't have the right lifestyle , out all hours, working in London now I am home a lot more and work near home so can dedicate more time...... I love going out for a walk first thing (travel mug in hand) and giving Louis a bath, like most people here i enjoy these aspects of owning a dog .... so yes to answer Tang I think people should think very carefully, your dog will cost you money but they will also completely change your life so completely agree there should be more thought but the problem is where there is money to be made puppy farming there will be people abusing this and selling to anyone.

when collie was ill last year i asked the vet how much it would cost if the end came. i was on his welfare list because of our rescue work and my extreme age

he said e50 ie to come out.

i have a good landlord who would help with the burial here on his land.

thankfully she recovered.