It is a valid question that I think all breeders should ask before releasing their puppies. I was at the vets yesterday (with my cat!) and there was a puppy in the waiting room. When I came out the puppy had gone. The receptionist said that the owner couldn't afford the £13.50 for the vaccinations having spent over £200 on a puppy. The breeder should take some responsibility letting a puppy go to an unsuitable home.

PDSA was where most folk took their pets when I was a kid.

I think it's not so commonly known that the BLUE CROSS will also help people in hardship with their vet bills in some cases. They helped a disabled friend of mine who lives in London and whose cat required urgent treatment that she could not afford. They also helped her with the cost of having the cat PTS when the treatment failed and also helped her with finding another suitable cat for her a bit later on.

The other question is insurance adequate? I am insured through Animals Friends who, I have heard via various threads, are not very good. I hope the threads are wrong but where does this leave me if they're not? I certainly couldn't afford major surgery for my woofles.

I apologise to Pat for some of the things I have said on this thread, but for the last three days I have been, and still am, on the point of having my beloved Pereg euthanised.

She is not yet 5 years old and I know that when she goes she will have been the last dog ever to share my life.

And it is breaking my heart because I love her so much.

Please accept my apology and understand what I am going through with my girl.

Malka

Malka So sorry.In my thoughts,you and beautiful Pereg.You will do what's right for her and whatever your decision I know it'll be out of love for her.(( hugs)) to you both xx

Can I afford a dog or two in my case? Well I can afford them in as much as I have secured my garden with more fencing, they have nice beds, and I can afford to feed them on a good food. They also have their annual boosters and I wouldn't hesitate to take them to the vets if I was concerned about their health. Both are insured third party but only one for medical expenses (the other one has a heart murmur). I have my own views on what I would and wouldn't allow my dog to have done at the vet should they become very unwell or develop an awful disease and that choice is not down to money. There is one thing we can do for animals that we can't do for humans and that is to put them out of their misery. If one of my dogs needed treatment for something whether it be injury or illness that would enable them to continue to have a good life then yes of course I would afford it even if I had to struggle to do so. What I wouldn't do is to put my dog through an operation with a long convalescing period for something there was no guarantee of return to a good quality of life or for my benefit.


Totally agree with the above.

Well done Pat for a good discussion topic.

What an interesting point for discussion.

If I sat down and worked out on paper exactly what it costs to own a dog from cradle to grave say an average of 12 years I do think my "sensible head self" would have the rest of me committed. However that's not how you do it is it?
I know there are extremes at either end of the dog owning spectrum who go OTT but I think the average dog owning person just thinks food which by and large is brought in supermarkets or monthly bag of something. And lots of people insure there dogs either a company or through their vets.

Bella is insured whereas Sal was just insured for the first year - Bella is a rescue though and her history health wise is unknown to me hence the belt and braces approach.

Before we got Bella I did because circumstances had altered since getting Sal as a pup 12 years previously, work out if I could afford a kennel in emergency and holidays and how much a dog walker would be - and I could afford both hence Bella came home - however at the present moment both are not needed as my neighbour but one walks Bella twice a day and would also dog sit her if needed (as he is now lives alone and works full time so will not get a dog till retirement) so has "adopted" Bella.

So yes I made a rough estimate what would need and figured I could afford it however my circumstances had already changed before Sal was PTS however I would not have considered getting rid of her because of my change but sensible head ruled when getting another dog.

I think this is an excellent thread

What you've stated you roughly took into account Kazz is sort of what I meant by 'affording' a dog.

Most people do muddle through whether it's the expense of owning a dog or raising kids!

But I have heard sad tales of dogs having to be PTS because the owner just couldn't afford an op or expensive meds. And I REALLY feel for people who stretch their budget a bit to insure against such extra outlay and then find that the Insurance Company wriggles out.

I've read a few threads on here where owners did have insurance but, because their vet demands payment up front and then they claim it back, they just couldn't find the money. Why the finances cannot be sorted direct between Vet and Ins. co. I don't understand.

Good thread.

In the US insurance for your pets is either not available or so rare I haven't heard of it. Even if it was available I wouldn't use it. I have seven dogs. I live on a small disability pension from the federal government. As a former breeder I know how to give vaccinations and I have learned over the years what meds to use for various minor illnesses and how to adjust the dosage for the weight of the dog. So I buy the vaccines and wormer online and give them myself which saves me a lot of money. I do not buy the county license for my dogs as I feel it's a ripoff. I do make sure they are vaccinated for rabies every 3 years as I live in the woods and although they never go out of their own yard you never know what kind of visitor you're likely to get. If anything happens that I can't handle myself I use my emergency credit card to pay the vet. When I was working I could afford to have multiple dogs. Now I really can't afford it but what was I susposed to do when I got sick? Give all my dogs away? Never!!! I've had all but two of them for years. The cost of dog and cat food is offset by the help I get from meals-on-wheels. They bring me a hot meal every day and pet food once a week. Luckily my dogs are not picky eaters. My point is that you do whatever you have to do to keep your dogs healthy and happy. There have been a few time that they ate and I didn't. If one of them was so sick or was going to have a life filled with pain as much as I love them and as much as I would miss them I would have it put down then bring it home to be buried in my doggie graveyard behind the house. I must add that I need my dogs as much as they need me. I have had problems all my life with severe depression and it's the fact that I must care for my dogs and pay attention to them that usually brings me out of it.