The other day, I made a passing comment in my article about judging (or not judging) others. I mentioned that although my friend Michael is in dire financial straits, he’s still making life decisions based around the fact that his family has two dogs. (They’re renting a larger, more expensive home than they otherwise would, for example.) “What about getting rid of the dogs?” I asked.
Well.
This suggestion struck a nerve with a lot of people. Many GRS readers argued that giving up pets during financial crisis is irresponsible. Tiffany’s response was typical:
Sorry, but dogs are like kids, you can’t just get rid of them in hard times. Certainly, you shouldn’t take on dogs when you’re not financially able to (and similarly, you should do your utmost to not have kids when you can’t support them). If you’ve already got dogs when the financial hard times hit, well then too bad, they’re still your responsibility. You can’t get rid of the kids, can’t get rid of the dogs. No real pet owner would want to, either.
Let me quell some concerns: I own four cats, and if Kris would let me, I’d own a dozen more. Plus a couple of dogs. And some birds (I really want a parrot). And some fish. I’m an animal person, and am often amazed that I still eat meat. (That cognitive dissonance is a topic for another time.)
I’m about as pro-animal as you can get. (Except that I’m not vegetarian — yet.) In general, I actually agree with those who scolded me. Pets are not furniture. They’re not possessions to be disposed of carelessly. They’re thinking, emotional beings, and ought to be treated with consideration and respect.
As many of you know, one of my pet projects (ha!) is an ongoing documentation of animal intelligence; I read everything I can find on the subject. (My friends are always sending me stories about amazing animals because they know I love them.) At the same time I started Get Rich Slowly, I started an animal intelligence blog, though that site has long since faded to nothing.
People are passionate about pets
Despite my deep respect and admiration for animals, I don’t think this issue is as crystal clear as many GRS readers make it out to be. This debate is interesting, and for a variety of reasons.
- First, it shows that different people value different things. If my family were in a rocky financial situation, the pets wouldn’t be the first to go, but they’d certainly be on the list of options.
- Second, when talking about spending on pets, we get to explore questions like “How much is too much?” When do you stop spending on pets? Do your pets take priority over your children? Over your home? Over your self? Again, different people have different answers.
- Third, this clearly demonstrates one of my mantras: Money is more about mind than it is about math. Everyday, all of us make financial decisions based on factors other than the numbers. Numbers are important, but they’re far from the only factor.
Last fall at MSN Money, my pal Donna Freedman — who will share her reader story here on Sunday, by the way — wrote about the financial implications of pet ownership:
When people say “I’d never give up my pet,” they’re usually speaking from a position of privilege. Sure, they may feel broke right now, but they’re still in a place where they can say what they would “never” do. If you were ever truly destitute, you’d know better than to make that kind of claim.
Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you lived in your sedan with four cats or out in a culvert with a husky-shepherd mix. Maybe all of you survived. But most of us aren’t cut out to take that kind of risk — and frankly, we shouldn’t. It’s too dangerous. A human life is worth more than the chance to nurture a corgi or a ferret for a few more years. Besides, Fido deserves better than car camping and eating old Wonder bread from the food bank.
As you might expect, her article received a lot of comments — over 1200 responses, in fact — many of which were nasty. But, you know what? I think Donna is right, and agreeing with her doesn’t make me a heartless bastard.
My best friend
I’ve had my cat Toto since she was a kitten. (In fact, I’ve known and loved her since the day she was born, 01 May 1994.) Aside from Kris, Toto is my best friend. When I’m home, she’s usually by my side, helping me write about personal finance. But Toto is getting old. Her body is failing, and it breaks my heart. She’s often in pain. The vet isn’t sure exactly what’s wrong with her, so we keep trying different things. With each vet visit, my costs mount. So far, I’m okay with that. I’ve maybe spent a thousand dollars in the past few months, and it’s bought me more time to cuddle with my cat.
But where do I draw the line? How much do I spend to keep Toto alive? (Especially when her quality of life is beginning to deteriorate?) Do I tap the money I have saved for our trip to France and Italy just to buy her a few more weeks? What if I were still in debt? How much would I spend then?
The calculus of pets is complex; there are no easy answers.
Bonus video: My two cats, Toto and Max, demonstrate “how to be bad”.
A vet’s voice
As I was finishing this article, my vet phoned. She was calling to give me Toto’s latest lab results: Her kidneys are beginning to fail and she may have thyroid problems (still waiting on a last set of tests).
After we finished talking about Toto, I told Dr. McDaneld about the discussion at Get Rich Slowly. It turns out she volunteers with the Humane Society to provide veterinary care in low-income areas throughout the country. She shared her thoughts about folks who find themselves unable to afford their pets.
“I don’t like to see pets neglected just because their owners are in financial distress, but it happens,” she told me. “When somebody’s not financially able to care for their pets — even the bare minimum — then that pet really is best off in another situation.”
But Dr. McDaneld also noted that for some, pets really are members of the family. Sometimes, an animal can be a person’s closest companion. “People’s relationships with their pets can run a wide gamut,” she said. “Some people would lose their house and health before they’d give up their pets.”
Fortunately, there are programs to help pet owners in need. “There are a lot of groups out there trying to help people who want to be responsible pet owners but are in financial trouble,” Dr. McDaneld said. She gave me three examples in the Portland area:
- The PAW Team (Portland Animal Welfare Team) provides free vet care to the pets of people who are homeless or in extreme poverty.
- FIDO (Friends Involved in Dog Outreach) offers a number of programs to assist dog owners, including Animeals (meals-on-wheels for cats and dogs) and a Dog Food Bank (for dog owners in financial need).
- Cat Adoption Team, which provides a cat food bank.
There are sure to be similar programs in most major cities. The bottom line: If my friend Michael gets into a situation where he can’t afford to keep his dogs, there are organizations that can help.
Pets aren’t people
That said, animals aren’t people. Somewhere — and where, I do not know — there’s a line between what you do for your children and what you do for Fido or Fluffy. I believe that it’s this line that bothered so many people in Wednesday’s article; I was suggesting that Michael give up his dogs much earlier than some readers would consider such an option.
So, where is this line for you? How long do you keep a pet, even when you can’t really afford it? Do you sacrifice your family’s well-being for that of the animal? How do you prioritize when you have to make a sacrifice? Is it ever better to give up an animal than to fail at other obligations?
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I would move with my pets in a van, down by the river. Eating nothing but a steady diet of government cheese! Just kidding, but I bet that’s what Chris Farley would say.
First I find it ironic that the blog post you felt compelled to write is in response a previous post this week, “Juding (or not judging) Others.” When frankly people who responded were judging how a person might choose to deal with the financial consequences of owning a pet.
It all depends on how you were raised and what you have grown accustomed to. In some parts of the world animals are sacred and are not treated as family members, but as gods. In others any animal as big as a rat is fair game (so to speak) for a meal. Who are we to judge? Each persons situation is different, as are their financial resources and emotional connection to their pets. Seriously can someones comments on a blog post comments section be eloquent and provoking enough to completely change the mindset that it has taken someone an entire lifetime of experiences and cultural influence to develop?
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I was miffed by your observation the other day too, but I decided not to comment then, because in general I agreed with that post. It’s very frustrating to watch someone you care about who is in debt and struggling financially buy themselves and all their family members iPhones (and the plans to go with them), to give up a cheap rental in favor of a much more expensive one, etc.
And I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said today – I adore my dog, and my husband and I don’t have kids so he’s the closest thing we have to that right now. But we’re not in debt. We have maxed out our 401K contributions, we’re saving in IRAs on top of that, our emergency fund is full and flush, and we’re taking a trip (to Portland!) later this month for a short vacation that we’ve saved up enough money to pay for. So – position of privilege, check. If I’m honest with myself, if it came down to the dog’s vet and food bills or our house, I would reluctantly try to find someone else who could take the dog, even if it was just one of our parents to keep him until we got back on our feet.
For the record, I think I was more upset the other day because of the implication that the options were A) take this $500/month rental and give up the dogs, or B) keep them but get a $1300/month rental. There HAVE to be in-betweens. There have to be places that allow dogs that cost less money, especially in Portland, which is a very animal-friendly town. I think the question maybe should have been about making the commitment to give the dogs exercise in a place WITHOUT a big yard to run and play. Anyway. Thanks for all you do – I am a big fan of the site!
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These are really tough questions. I asked myself similar questions after that last article. Just where is my “stop loss point”? Do I drain my emergency fund for the cats? It gets even more complicated since it really was my girlfriend who decided to get cats, not me, so you could make a case that it’s mainly her responsibility. And what happens if we break up?
These are really things you should think about BEFORE you get any kind of pet.
No matter how you slice it, pets cost money. You can argue all you want about how they are (or aren’t) the same as a human being but the reality is that society in general does not view animals to be on the same “level”. Even if someone is old and the relatives cannot afford health care, society will not let that person die. An old dog, that’s another matter. It doesn’t really matter where YOU draw the line, the line is already drawn FOR you. Society says animals are different, inferior to humans. The playing field is not level so naturally you need to think accordingly when it comes to paying for that pet.
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Meh. Your justifications and explanations of why someone who is having financial problems should give up their pets is overly dramatic. Very few truly middle class Americans go from owning a home, having a job, etc to living in a van down by the river unless they have other issues besides being out of work or not handling their finances properly (like a drug or alcohol problem).
I wouldn’t put my kids in an orphanage if I was having financial difficulties, so I wouldn’t take my pets to the shelter either in the same circumstances. End of discussion.
And given this is your position, I will take every other suggestion in your blog with a giant grain of salt. Actually, more than likely, I’ll just delete you from my Google reader list and be done.
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You “own” four cats? Where did you get that impression?
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As I recall, one of the planning failures associated with the Hurricane Katrina evacuation was that, while there were some provisions for public (non-car) evacuation, it was only for people, not for pets. Many people chose to stay in their homes to face the storm with their pets, rather than evacuate to safety but abandon their pets.
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Thanks for providing the resources for poor and unemployed pet owners. I’m sure they’ll be useful to many suddenly finding themselves in dire straits.
Personally I’ve been faced with being temporarily homeless with animals. I could live out of a car for a week or so with my cat, not so much with the young dog I also had at the time. Fortunately a friend let me stay until the pet-friendly apartment I’d applied to was available. I did end up adopting my young dog out about a year later – he wasn’t thriving in the apartment, and his quality of life came before my emotional attachment to him.
Here’s something interesting: when I rehomed him, I had several people write asking me to reduce or waive the $75 rehoming fee (purebred puppy – I was deliberately taking a loss to make sure my decision was based on the best home, not on a bidding war) because they’d just lost their jobs or otherwise couldn’t afford it. Clearly those emails were deleted… if $75 would break them and they were unemployed, caring for a young dog would probably not help their situation.
I would have (and have) kept my older cat with me no matter what, firstly because she’s a little clingy and codependent, secondly because of her age and minor health issues… if she went to a pound she’d be euthanized, and if she went to a new home they’d take her to the pound, because she’s one of those cats that’s not for everyone, but she’s devoted to the core. She’s the cat that would *want* to be in the car with me rather than in a new home, weird as that sounds.
I feel guilty and like a bad pet parent when my cat’s ear infection recurs because I had to wait too long to take her back to the vet. On the other end I’ve done the kidney failure vet bills thing with my (deceased) rescue cat. It’s hard. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who do the best for their animals, whether they’re making difficult choices to keep them or making the difficult choice to rehome them.
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I was homeless for the longest time (yes, on the street homeless) because my mother refused to give up her dog. I guess we know what her priority was.
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I often feel smug I’ve avoided smoking, or expensive cars, or even having kids too young on my route to wealth – but pets are my own crack cocaine.
In particular, tropical marine fish and corals. There’s a way to lose money fast on expensive equipment (think $1000s) to avoid your expensive animals (think dozens costing $100s) dying, plus getting to feel guilty about the carbon the expensive lighting is throwing off into the bargain.
Love that cat on the windowsill. I’d struggle no reign back spending on a cat like that, too.
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JD, I’m sorry to hear about Toto. I’ve actually been going through something similar myself — two months ago my 11 year old tortie was diagnosed with kidney disease. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about homelessness or financial ruin in caring for her ($1300 in May and we have a vet appt this morning), but I have still been faced with how far to go for her (we opted not to do the $3000-4000 kidney stone surgery, for quality of life reasons). I love my cat, and it’s not easy to make these kind of decisions. Good luck with Toto.
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I’m getting tired of the comparisons between pets and kids (from the commenters here and at Simple Dollar) about whether pets should be re-homed, but kids should never be. Does everyone forget about how many people give up their kids? Either by their choice or because their are forced to. It is perfectly legal to give one’s baby up for adoption and also legal to abort in certain areas. Should people not have the same rights with their pets?
Now, I’m not passing judgment on any of these situations. I think it really is a personal choice that most of us never have to make, having never been pregnant at 14, or in some other horrible living situation.
I just think that there are more similarities than people realize. Some people just should not have kids in their care and we have agencies to seize the kids and place them in a hopefully better environment (again, no need to get into that debate) the same way as we have agencies to seize animals.
Whether right or wrong our society is set-up so that both people and animals are considered transferable or disposable in numerous situations.
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Great article JD! I have a 17 year old poodle which I’ve had since he was 8 weeks old. Received Charlie when I was 10 and I’m 27 now, my first dog. He came into our family when my sister was a few months old and my brother was 1 1/2 years. He has been with me longer than he has not, and my siblings can’t remember live without him. He is almost totally blind and hard of hearing. I question when will it be Charlie’s time almost every day. I feel he still has a good life, with more ups than downs, but know his time is soon. I also have a rescued cat that is 20 years old, taken in 5 years ago when her owner past. She is slowing down and getting quite demanding (and like to scratch you if you walk by and don’t pet her). I just hope I know when their time has come. I also know that money in vet bills does not always mean quality time.
Personally about vegetarian diet: I just moved to a vegan diet yesterday. I was a vegatarian for 6 years, then ate meat again. My sister and aunt have been vegans for 3-4 years. They have both asked me to do vegan for 30 days, because its only 30 days they say, then see how I feel. Plus I spend so much of my free time and money on animals it really does make sense.
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My order of importance is as follows:
1. Wife
2. Daughter
3. Cats (I have 6 of them)
4. Myself
I would go hungry before my cats will, but my wife and daughter definitely take top priority.
Part of the reason I’ve cleaned up my financial mess is so that my cats will have a better life. I never want to be in a position where I would have to give them up. And when they get older, there are going to be significant vet bills. Knowing that, I’ve actually created an entirely seperate savings account just for the cats.
This may mean that I don’t get to go to Ireland or Greece as quickly as I’d want to, but it’s worth it. After my wife and daughter, my 6 cats are my best friends in the entire world.
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I’ve been following this thread with interest, because I’m a 20 year veteran of the animal welfare movement and the executive director of a large humane society. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen people relinquish animals for the lamest of reasons (he’s not a puppy anymore so he’s no longer cute) and for the most heartbreaking of reasons (going into a nursing home).
As the economy crumbles, animal shelters around the country find themselves facing a choice: do we take in every animal displaced by human tragedy (often at the risk of the animal’s life) or do we put programs in place that try to bridge the gap and keep animals with their families?
What we have discovered is that we are able to help at least 50% of the people who come to us thinking that relinquishment of their animal is their only option when faced with foreclosure, job loss, or other financial crisis. When they discover our pet food bank, our low-cost spay/neuter services, our foster program for pets of people who are temporarily homeless, etc, they are able to re-think their strategy. For the other 50%, there may be no option and we’ll take their animals and do our best. But, thanks to being ready to meet people where they are, we can take in fewer homeless animals and keep families intact.
If anyone is faced with a crisis and believes the only alternative is re-homing your pet, start planning ahead. Uncover the resources available in your area. Work with family and friends to find temporary or permanent placement. Learn how to responsibly re-home your animal on your own. And then, as a last resort, call your local animal adoption center to inquire about relinquishing the animal. Waiting until the sheriff’s notice is on the door and the moving van is idling out front is NOT the time to decide how to deal with your pets.
It remains a paradox that pets are considered consumer items by most Americans (how else to explain the flourishing puppy mill trade), but most Americans with pets consider them “members of the family.”
Thanks, JD, for giving some time to this subject.
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my precious kitty is 12 years old, and hasn’t seen a vet in 11.75 of those years. how the hell are people fucking up their pets enough that they need regular visits to the veterinarian?
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I have an inside cat and an outside dog (and a small house in the middle of a big property where the dog can run). I deeply love my pets, and I’ve already spent a lot of money on them. I especially had 3 cats before that one, that died for various reason (2 of accidents, one of disease). I each time paid the vet without one split second of hesitation, without even asking beforehand how much it would cost, but only because I COULD. Having a pet is a “luxury” (as it’s not a basic need to live), but since it’s one I can afford and something that makes my life extraordinarily better, it’s all good.
I would never EVER be happy to give away my pets, but I could consider this option if it was really my last one before losing my house or getting in deep debt.
I agree with you that no matter how much we love them, animals are not human, and even though we are responsible of them, we also are responsible of humans, ourselves at first place and our family too, if we have one. I make that kind of distinction with charities: I give at every food collect, but I give about 5 times more for human food than for pet food… It’s not much every time, but it’s a balance that fit my values and my budget!
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Portland is lucky to have all those options for people who can’t afford their pets. In my state, when the foreclosure crisis started, a large grocery chain got together with the Humane Society and was offering free dog and cat food to people in foreclosure. That lasted about 1 week, until the NRA planned a boycott of this store because they don’t like the Humane Society because it is against hunting. That was the last place I heard of doing this kind of work, and it is truly sad how it all went down.
In your friend’s case, I think people were upset that you suggested he “get rid” of the dogs so soon because he was clearly wasting some much cash on needless toys. It seems crazy that he would “need” $800 more house for 2 dogs. They must be Huskys or Great Danes!
I think for me, I would have to be on the brink of starvation myself before I gave my cats away. I also wouldn’t let them suffer in squalid conditions either. Maybe I would try to find a foster home until I got back on my feet. Right now, they are the only thing that brings joy to my life, so it would be excruciating to give that up.
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One more thing- if you give your pet up to a shelter (not Humane Society) you should know that shelter has the right to sell your pet to a laboratory testing facility to make money for the city/county. Seems unfair, but it’s true.
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I’ve never commented here before, but I just wanted to express my sympathy for your cat, Toto. I know how hard that is.
Thanks for this extremely well-written post.
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We have several friends who I know would take in our dog if we were ever in a situation where we could not properly care for him. It would be extremely difficult to give him up nevertheless.
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My “pain point” for spending too much money on my cat is pretty low compared to other animal lovers. I got him as a Humane Society kitten, got pet insurance, and then he suffered some kind of respiratory problem soon afterwards. The pet insurance covered the minimal cost for the medicine and that was it.
Fast forward about 8 years and suddenly my cat starts leaking blood out of one eye and has temporary blindness. I took him to the vet and after extensive tests costing several thousand dollars, they had no definitive answer. They think it may be feline herpes. They gave him all sorts of medication that did nothing at all. Over the course of the testing the blindness recovered in one eye and then transferred to the other. It has now settled in his left eye, which leaks blood. After several months of treating him with different medications that the vets were not sure could help (and which didn’t) I stopped all treatment. Pet insurance claims this is linked to the original respiratoy disease and will not pay for any further claims related to it.
So my thought process is this: He is a cat. He doesn’t seem to be in pain. I feed him, love him, and he has a leaky defective eye that will receive no further tests or medication. If he dies, then he dies. That’s kind of what happens to sick pets. I hope he is around for a good long time, but I will not spend any more money trying to diagnose and treat something that no one seems to know how to fix.
I would never consider putting myself in financial trouble for a pet. In the end, I think humans have more worth than animals do.
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Frankly, it’s making decisions like that, the hardly insignificant costs of pet maintenance, an looming huge expenditures (hello, grad school!) that have kept me from getting a pet. Instead, I spend at least an hour a week volunteering at the local (no-kill) humane society. I get my pet fix, without the expenses, the cats are happier, and the shelter gets more socialized and therefore adoptable animals.
Most shelters also offer foster programs, which allow you to take on an animal only when the timing works for you, and then give them back when they’re ready for adoption. Generally the shelter covers all medical expenses and can help with food if necessary.
It’s kitten season most places now- if you can help foster (or even adopt), please consider doing so!
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Your post on Wednesday prompted a discussion for my husband and me. I’m finally employed and now he’s been laid off so this isn’t a mental exercise for us.
The discussion was really good because it turns out we are at the same place — if we can’t eat, that means they probably can’t eat either and that’s the point for us to look for other options.
Here’s hoping these replies stay civil.
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I’m really glad you wrote this! I think people get way too touchy about the issue of giving up a pet and don’t understand how heartbreaking it could be.
My neighbor’s family had a rotten 2009 – she went through chemo for an aggressive cancer, her daughter’s seizure disorder got worse, and her husband got into a motorcycle accident causing hefty brain damage. Eventually she had to rehome her beloved beagle and her husband had to leave because she couldn’t take care of her own cancer and his brain injury and their aging dog and the daughter.
In the last couple of months – she’s gotten better, is back at work, and both the husband and dog have been back at the house. Since her beagle had been rehomed to someone she knew, she didn’t have to say good bye forever.
There are some people who give up dogs because they were too irresponsible in the first place, but the majority of people who give away a pet in hard times are just trying to do the best by their animal. The act of giving up a dog that you cannot take care of is ABSOLUTELY the BEST and MOST RESPONSIBLE thing a person can do, and no one should be judged for it.
You can’t possibly fathom the heartbreak and torment a person goes through having to make a decision like that… and FYI: while some services are listed here, there really isn’t such a thing as doggy food stamps or kitty WIC or parrot welfare checks or free ferret medical insurance. People don’t give up their kids in times of financial distress (well some do, but they’re not rehoming them on Craigslist with a small fee) because there are specially designed, federally funded programs to keep kids happy and healthy even when their parents are at rock bottom. There are so many resources to help families stay together (which barely work most of the time, but another issue for another day) – and not enough to keep a pet a member of the family in hard times.
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If I remember clearly you did a post a while back about how you have pets but not children and that’s partially a financial decision. My husband and I are on the opposite side of things and value people way over pets. In fact, we won’t get pets. Why? They cost money and require time that can go to things we value more. Add to that, my husbands nervousness around dogs (he was attacked by a dog as a child) and one of my best friend’s allergic reaction to cats and I’ll choose my husband and friends over the animals any day. That’s our decision and we’re pretty firm on that. However – I can understand that it would be very difficult for a family who is already in distress (losing everything, needing to move) etc.) to need to get rid of pets. I remember needing to get rid of a cat I loved due to a move as a child, and it was pretty traumatic. It would be a tough decision and honestly, if your friend doesn’t have the sense to not get two iPhones and an iPhone touch when in financial stress then getting rid of dogs is definitely not in the category of hard decisions he’s able to make as a man trying to clean up the mess he’s gotten his family into.
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This is an issue of responsibility. People who give up a pet without much thought are probably are not really taking responsibility in other areas of their life. Giving up your pet should be one of the hardest decisions you ever make. Having a pet means that you may have to make that decision or the decision to euthanize. It is part of the responsibility you accept when you choose to share your life with a pet. My issue in this case is that suggesting someone who is making bad choices get rid of their pets seems to be feeding in to their irresponsibility. The dogs are not the problem. In a case like this too often they become the victim of a human’s irresponsibility. That is why so many of us reacted to the suggestion.
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I really, really, really, hate it when people compare pets and kids. They are not, and never will be, on the same level. I would personally end the life of every pet I have ever owned to save the life of one person that I don’t even know.
On the subject of pets and money, I’m sure I would give up any pets I have long before most people would. I don’t own a pet currently, since I want the independence.
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Moogie (#9), your language is unnecessary and inappropriate.
Also, in response to your comment: I don’t have a cat, so I cannot say what vet care is appropriate for cats, but dogs should see a vet at least once a year for a regular checkup, as most dog owners do not have the education and experience that vets do, and therefore cannot determine the state of their pet’s health the way the vet can. People who incur regular costs from vet visits are not doing anything horrible to their pets; they are providing basic care.
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My pets are part of our family. I currently have three dogs and would not give them up for anything. If I was in that horrible of a financial situation I still would not give them up as it would make a bad situation way worse. They can make me smile and laugh when nothing else can.
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Wow, we have certainly fallen far from the common sense tree. Dogs & Cats as kids, ummm no they are a luxury, not a need (except for the blind, etc). My family loves our dog, but if things get so bad that we can’t pay our bills, guess what will be first to go. People are more important (although less lovable at times). Men need to be men in these kind of situations, not soft hearted fools.
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My concern is when people love their animals so much they keep adopting more, then don’t have the money to keep them well fed and healthy.
My cousins’s last girlfriend (anecdotal I know) had 4 or 5 large german shephards, but was regularly unemployed and had very little money. 4 or 5 large dogs take a lot of money to feed and keep healthy! But she “loved” them too much to get rid of them, and so they had worms and were malnourished and becoming vicious. Eventually animal control was called by the neighbours and took them away.
Like others, for me pets would be the last thing to go if I was in dire finacial straights. I just have a giant soft spot for animals.
I’d much rather (and do) donate and volunteer for an animal shelter than a homeless shelter. That makes me a bad human being I guess but its the truth.
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Sometimes, as you said, the best thing for the pet is to be given up. We adopted a Golden named Niles last year (our previous golden died in July). Niles was an owner surrender to the rescue group we went through. His story was that he’d been owned by the the same person since he was a puppy and there had been life changes – a new baby, job loss, downsizing due to the economy. Niles was living in an apartment with no yard and near a busy city street. I can’t imagine having to give him to a rescue group, but that’s what happened.
It was certainly the best for Niles. He’s now in a large home with a nice big yard – gets twice daily walks and has a very healthy diet. He looks great.
I used to think I could never get rid of my pets, but experiencing this has made me realize that good choices can be made from very difficult decisions. To surrender this dog was the best thing for him. It also has to be much easier on the family now that they don’t have to foot the health and food bills for a 100 lb dog.
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First off, moogie(#9), you’re lucky, and apparently stupid.
And second, I would say a big yes to drawing from your emergency fund for your pet. What else is it there for, if not for an emergency such as this?
I would even go so far as to say that if you do NOT want to dip into your e-fund, then don’t get a pet in the first place. Pets have risks of illness.
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JD- You should totally go veg, you’ll love it! And also, I think Donna Freedman’s comment about how “Fido deserves better” was total BS. People that give up their pets ARE NOT giving them a better life. They’re ensuring the animal’s death in a cold, concrete shelter. How is that better? I would seriously live in my car before I’d give up my dogs because I’m a good person who stands by my commitments.
@Cole Brodine- You’re making yourself sound pretty heartless- you may want to think about that next time.
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These domesticated animals use to serve a purpose… Hunting dog, a Foxer, a cat mouser, a shepard dog, a sled dog, etc…. “Pets” were created to be used as a tool for a specific function.
However these days you buy a $2000 dog and put $50 sweaters on them… or the other extreme is you save a pet from a kill shelter and then spend thousands on medical care down the road when it developes problems.
It would be much better for you to put the animal down and save the money or donate the money you would have spent to a animal shelter.
With some pet problems your just delaying the suffering for your own personal gain which is to keep them alive so you can be happy at the expense of the animals suffering. There is a point in time that you just need to make the decision to let them go, at times for the animals well being.
I find it revolting that people spend thousands of dollars on a pet when so many children starve or have no shoes, or can’t afford the great gift of books. There are so many better things to spend money on.
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Just recently lost my 14 year old husky that our family loved. The last four weeks we gave him “hospice” type care and he truly enjoyed his life. Mostly because he got to eat all he wanted, don’t we all wish we could go out that way? I just wanted to add that during the last couple years he was on medication for hip issues. My vet was the one that told me one prescription could be filled under the four dollar plan at Wal-mart. It was much higher at her clinic and I would never have thought of that. I also found 1-800petmeds was much cheaper for his higher cost medication. They were great and if you researched and found the drug cheaper at another internet site, they would match that price. I saved a lot this way and its a good tip for others who like me loved our family member but needed to save too. Lastly we truly believe you must let them go when they loose quality of life and not keep them around just because you will miss them!
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Maybe the reaction to the last post was based on the assumption that people who get rid of their animals due to financial stress send them straight to be euthanized.
As others have said – there’s probably an in-between solution. One of my best friends just adopted a dog from a family that loved him but could no longer keep him. Win-win for everyone, including Stanley the dog. Similarly, my husband, who works in the juvenile courts system, knows many families where the financial (and psychological) condition of the parents prevents them from keeping their *human children* – and relatives step in to fill the gap. Sometimes the loving thing to do for our pets (or our children) is to let someone else care for them. Giving up our pets can be a responsible AND loving way to handle our lives. For some families, keeping the pet might actually be the selfish choice.
We each have to make our own choices and live with them.
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There is a line, but most people don’t want to think about it, and don’t, until they are forced to cross it.
When I lost my job several years ago, (and had to report my former employer for non-payment of wages for my last month’s salary), I was BROKE. Worse than broke. I had only been out of college for a few months, and had only a few hundred saved up, which was gone in 6 weeks. I had to borrow money from my parents to pay one month’s rent, and my boyfriend’s parents to pay another month’s. It was 3 months before I found work and another month before I got paid at that job. I went from April to August without a paycheck. In July, I finally broke down and called the rescue to take back my cat. One woman seemed sympathetic, but another wrote me a nasty email that put me in tears for a long time whenever I thought about it. She told me I was a horrible person who should never own another pet.
I now have a dog, who I love dearly, and would go to great lengths to keep him, and keep him in good health. But the other day I heard a woman say to another person about how she had spent $9,000 in the last few months on vet bills. NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS. I was aghast. As much as I love my dog, I wouldn’t go into that kind of debt to keep him alive. If that makes me a horrible person, well I guess I am.
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I wish that I were tougher on this, and could say that ‘I won’t spend more than $xx’ to keep the cats well, etc. But the truth is, we have already accepted that they will shed hair all over our life, wake us up way too early, and scratch our couch. We love having their life presence in the house, and the difference it makes in our lives.
I honestly have no idea how we will decide how much medical care is too much. But in response to those who feel pet care expenses are lavish or outrageous, well, we’ve saved the money and will spend it how we damn well please.
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Let’s say you adopt a dog who turns out cannot adapt to apartment living. What do you do? Move to a house, or try to find a better home for the dog?
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As Ari Gold famously quipped – “Even broccoli screams when you rip it out of the ground.” Pets = animals pure and simple.
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Sometimes even if you love animals, having a pet is just stupid and cruel to the animal. Having a pet is expensive! Anyone who isn’t in a very secure financial situation should never even get a pet in the first place. way too many people who are unemployed or just out of college get pets, IMO. They should pay more attention to what the pet needs and if they can actually afford it before taking on the responsibility.
Although I agree that pets are not equivalent to children, I think they should be treated very well if you do have them.
In my part of the country (rural midwest), too many people own big dogs like labs or goldens but just keep them shut up in their garage all day & night (in the winter) or staked on a chain in their small yard (in the short summer).
The animals typically aren’t trained or socialized or taken for regular walks or given any vet care–and they bark all the time from boredom. And I’m sorry to say that some people when they have their first baby, realize they can’t afford the dog or they worry it’s going to bite the baby, so they just take it out to the quarry and shoot it in the head.
It’s the lack of money that leads to this kind of bad treatment of animals (especially the lack of vet care)–yet, all these people would say they “love” their dog(s). I think they should just realize they can’t affort to treat the dog right and forego being pet owners.
Even though I can afford it, I refuse to get
a pet at this point in my life because I know I can’t take care of it properly. I live in a suburban neighborhood (so the pet would have to be kept indoors all day), I have 2 small children and I work full+ time at a demanding job. What kind of a life would a dog have? I don’t have any time to spend with a dog–my available time is spent with my kids–, and I’d have to keep it penned up in my garage or yard most of the time.
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I think what miffed a lot of pet lovers is that this family still has a *lot* more they can cut before turning to something like giving up their dogs. If you can’t afford to care for an animal or if it comes to feeding the animal or your kids, that’s one thing, but in the case of Michael, his dogs are an excuse to rent the house they want to rent, not the reason or the real problem. I’m sure he has an excuse for why his whole family needed their iGadgets, why he needs a new car. He wasn’t even willing to LOOK at the $500/mo place you found. He’s not trying to change his situation at all, so really, what do the two dogs matter in comparison with the hundreds, if not thousands, they are spending on wants?
I know JD is a pet-lover, and I think if the comment about getting rid of the dogs had been made about a family who had already tried everything and couldn’t afford them, most readers would have understood. In this case, though, it seemed premature, even though I know it was just a passing comment. They are living beyond their means, and the dogs are small costs in comparison to the big gains that could be made by cutting back on wants. I don’t own an iPhone, and you can bet if I did that I’d cut that before I ever considered giving away my cat.
As for me, I’d pay a lot for my cat…I don’t have a set point, though. But if she was in pain and I would only be prolonging it, I’d let her go. I’ll always put her well-being ahead of my sadness in losing her. Yes, animals are not people, but I will still treat mine with love and respect, and consider her needs because she’s basically helpless, and her quality of life matters to me.
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Jenny (#25) I think hit it right on the money.
I have a dog, whom I love, and hey, I might not have a huge yard and tons of money to dote on her, but she has a good life. I know that if things got really rough, she has a place to go that isn’t a shelter (where she’d most likely be put down because she isn’t a puppy, see http://blogs.catster.com/the-cats-meow-a-cat-and-kitten-blog/shelter-rant/2009/01/29/ and http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2010/05/dear-pop-washington-humane-society-issues/). And I thought about all of these things before I adopted her. Growing up with pets, and taking an active role in their care, I understood that pets are a huge responsibility and I was willing to accept that. If you don’t, that is fine. Just don’t get a pet.
I definitely had a reaction to your earlier post. And it’s because of what Jenny talked about, so many irresponsible people get pets and think of them as a luxury in the way they think of a car or a piece of art. When things get rough they can just give them to the animal shelter cause thats what they are there for right? They have this idea that the dog will end up with a caring family with a huge yard (see the link above about what happens to most pets in shelters). Or, in the case of cats and reptiles, they just set them loose in the neighborhood or a local park. Pets aren’t people, but they are living, breathing things that rely on us to live. And there are pet owners who understand this, but several do not. It’s not responsibly rehoming a pet after you’ve exhausted all other options that is the issue, it’s the idea that “well, get rid of your dogs” is a legitimate suggestion, when clearly these people with their iphones are not in completely dire straits. It legitimizes this attitude that pets are as disposable as a comic book collection or a car. It’s an attitude that allows puppy mills and irresponsible breeders to exist, which necessitates squalid, overcrowded shelters.
Obviously, JD, you don’t feel that way. I think that’s just how it came off to people.
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I agree with you. I LOVE animals, but I do believe there is a BIG difference between animals and humans.
I also don’t believe that spending such a huge amount extra just to keep a pet is right when you are having a hard time to make ends meet, it SHOULD be an option to let them go. It would not be easy at all. My little dog sleeps by my side any time she can, when I’d sitting, I don’t know where I end and she begins, she sits so tight;)
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I’m with #43, April.
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i guess i should clarify my position on my “stupid and lucky” cat that is quite happy and purr-y since his neutering.
i grew up on a farm. i’ve personally slaughtered >1,000 chickens, and helped to butcher dozens of cows and pigs. i’ve also had a career as an emt, and seen people die, seen people die due to complications of neglect or accident. sorry, i just can’t get as worked up about domesticated, non-food animals like you can. (oh, and my farm experience turned me into a vegetarian about 30 years ago). lulu says meow, and cries a bit to know that people are sacrificing their own well-being and happiness for the sake of… well, i’ll just stop now.
kitty says meow, and still has several years left in him, despite all of the heartbreaking stories of the billions of dollars that pets cost.
don’t believe me? then refute this:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/06/peteconomics.asp?viewed=1
The APPMA estimates that, in total, Americans spent $43.2 billion on their pets in 2008. That’s money that’s not going into savings accounts, money that isn’t feeding hungry children, money that isn’t going into education or providing healthcare to humans or… oh, crap, i said i was going to stop, didn’t i?
kitty is budgeted $400/year for food and litter, and there’s enough left over for toys and catnip. hasn’t needed a vet, and is perfectly healthy despite all admonishments that vet visits are a ritual.
deciding to let go of a pet can be a financial issue, or an emotional issue. good luck trying to balance the two (as comments here seem to indicate, it’s a polarizing issue).
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The problem is often people in poverty take public assistance AND keep pets. So essentially, I’m working hard to pay extra taxes so this guy can have two dogs, when I, myself, decided I should not get another dog because of the expense. I don’t mind paying taxes to keep children fed, but dogs? No. The dogs ARE better off elsewhere where someone can take care of them without using taxpayers’ money.
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JD,
I’ve never posted before, but this post really resonanted with me. It is evident that you love your pets very much and they are lucky to have you and Chris to take care of them. When the time comes to make the decision with Toto, I hope you are at peace with whatever that may be. As for the line–I think the it is different for everyone–it really ties into how you view your pets and what your current financial situation is. I didn’t hesistate to spend several thousand dollars to treat my cat when he was sick, because I thought he had a lot of quality time left. When it came time to make the decision to have him put to sleep, I did that too. I volunteer for a no-kill cat shelter and we get animals all the time from owners that couldn’t afford or couldn’t keep their animals. It happens. I would just encourage people to explore all their options before surrending their pet.
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On one hand I have seen many instances of people who really shouldn’t have had pets, ranging from people neglecting their pets, leaving them without food or not bringing them to the vet (too expensive) to hoarder types. So I don’t agree that having a pet is “forever” because it encourages people to hold onto animals they simply cannot take care of (not saying his friend is at that point yet). In the same way, people can lose custody of their children if they cannot provide for them.
On the other hand, I have known a homeless vet who had two dogs; he lived in his car with his dogs. He was offered transitional housing but turned it down because he would have to give up his dogs to do that, who were like family to him and the only continuity and support he had in his life for many years. Some people can understand his position, others will not. I personally wished they were able to work with this vet so that they could accomodate housing with his special circumstances.
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