The Cost Of Puppy Love Can Put The Bite On The Household Budget

By Nancy K. Crevier

“How much is that doggie in the window?” asks the old children’s song. It is a question prospective pet owners might want to think about before they take into their home an adorable bundle of furry fun.

With springtime in full swing, puppies, kittens, and all manner of baby creatures make an appearance. It is a popular time to introduce a new pet into the household. The big-eyed, innocent face of an eight-week-old puppy or the persistent purr of a soft, fluffy kitty begging, “Take me home. Take me home,” can create spur-of-the-moment adoptions and purchases that later tally up to much more money than the initial outlay.

From zero dollars paid for answering the “Free To Good Home” ad to $5 at the Newtown Dog Pound to hundreds or thousands of dollars paid to pet adoption agencies and breeders, taking home a pet is only the beginning of a lifetime of caring that involves a fair amount of money.

“The fee for adopting from the pound is $5,” says Canine Advocate President Virginia Jess. “On average, though, it costs about $500 to neuter and vaccinate a dog. Canine Advocates is lucky to get a 50 percent discount [from a local veterinarian.]” Even so, very few people think to offer a further donation to Canine Advocates, she says, which relies upon the generosity of the community to support its cause.

Dogs adopted through Canine Advocates are neutered and are up to date on shots, Ms Jess says. “A dog still needs a yearly exam and vaccinations, though,” she reminds pet owners. A puppy may require several trips to the veterinarian before its vaccinations are completely updated, and pet owners need to consider the cost of food as well as any unexpected illnesses, says Ms Jess. “The veterinarian is very expensive.”

The Animal Center places homeless cats and kittens for a one-time fee of $100. “This includes age appropriate vaccinations, deworming, an exam and either neutering or spaying,” explains Monica Roberto, president of the nonprofit organization.

Local veterinarians work with the group at deeply discounted prices, but that $100 barely covers those basic costs, she goes on to say. “Anyone coming in to a veterinarian off the street would pay quite a bit more than that,” she says. Adopting families need to be aware that young kittens will need follow-up vaccinations and rabies vaccinations, too, and like Ms Jess, she cautions that emergencies can arise. “Are you prepared for that cost?” she asks.

The Animal Center encourages yearly wellness exams; other expenses for purchasing toys and cat litter add up over the course of the year, she says. “We caution against the supermarket brands of cat food. The better quality pet foods cost more, but staying away from foods with a lot of by-products is best for your cat,” she recommends.

Dr Brian Silverlieb of Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals on Route 6 in Newtown says that the first year of ownership is generally the most expensive. People should plan to spend anywhere from $300 to $500 to properly vaccinate and another $100 to $300 to alter a pet. “A dog or cat that cost $5 requires the same care as an expensive purebred dog or cat,” he says.

On average, says Dr Chris Mixon of Newtown Animal Clinic on South Main Street, a visit to the veterinarian will cost around $150. “A puppy will need to be seen about three times on average in a year, a cat about two times,” he says, as a general rule for determining yearly pet health costs. Purebred pets tend to have more problems than do mixed breed animals, meaning more frequent veterinarian visits. Neutering and spaying are additional costs for unaltered animals, and adopting an adult animal, he warns, can mean adopting costly, chronic illnesses and the problems that go hand-in-hand with geriatric pets.

The Cost Of Training

Another cost that pet owners may not have considered, particularly for dogs, is that of training. It is not only the cost of the class, but also the cost of time spent training a dog that is dear. Says Ms Jess, “Many dogs end up in the pound because people don’t realize how much time and socialization dogs need. Training a dog takes time and patience. It’s not just love.”

Not everybody has the skill to teach a puppy manners. How big a check will a puppy owner write out for training? At Cassio Kennels in Newtown, puppy socialization classes cost $100 for a four-week class. Basic and obedience training or agility training to follow up runs another $100 to $140 for six-week sessions.

Besides the training period puppies require, Dr Silverlieb mentions the other hidden cost of pet ownership frequently overlooked: destructive behavior of puppies and kittens. “They like to chew, they tear stuff up, they claw things, knock things over — all kinds of things before they learn better,” he says.

Young pets or pets that suffer from anxiety may require special care when the owner is away. Happy At Home Pet Services, owned by Frank Pitrone, and Safe At Home, owned by Adria Henderson, are two Newtown businesses that care for animals in their own environment when the owner cannot be there. “Besides going to the house to feed or walk the dog, I take care of whatever else the pet needs,” says Mr Pitrone. Ms Henderson provides a discounted puppy program for working owners. “A puppy may need to go out two or even three times before the owner gets home,” she says.

Visits from these animal caregivers average $15 a visit, so a pet that requires attention three times a day will ring up $45 in charges every day. The actual costs depend upon the needs of each client, they say. Both Ms Henderson and Mr Pitrone stress that their visits provide not only security for the pets, but home security, as well. “You need someone responsible who can react in an emergency,” says Ms Henderson, citing a recent incident in which she had to quickly respond to a dangerous gas leak when she entered the home to tend to the pets. “When you get a pet, you are talking about an investment and a terrific amount of responsibility,” says Ms Henderson.

Traveling pet owners must include the cost of pet boarding into vacation budgets.

At Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals and the Newtown Animal Clinic, boarding ranges from a base cost of $12 a day for cats to $25.50 a day for large dogs. Administration of medications, special handling for difficult or aggressive pets and pets with special medical considerations incur added costs. If a pet is not up to date on all vaccinations at the time of boarding, that cost is additional to ensure the safety of the other boarders.

Pet Insurance

Unexpected illnesses and accidents create unforeseen expenses for pet owners. “I think pet insurance is a good idea,” says Dr Maria Lagana of Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals. “I would say about five percent of our clients now buy pet insurance, and it has become very big in recent years.” Particularly for outdoor pets, trauma insurance is not a bad idea, says Dr Lagana. “Emergency care can run into the thousands of dollars. It can literally become a life or death decision [for the pet] for people who can’t afford emergency care.”

Lisa Peterson, an owner, breeder, and handler of Norwegian elkhounds since 1983 works for the American Kennel Club in Manhattan as director of club communications. When puppies are registered with the AKC, a free 60-day insurance policy with PetPartners, Inc is offered to the owners. Ms Peterson sees the insurance as a hedge against what all pets will one day face: old age and the problems that accompany it. “It is a good idea to insure a dog when it is young,” she says, “because you often can’t insure an older dog.” The 60-day plan is ideal for puppy owners, in her opinion, because serious problems with puppies generally show up within that time period.

One of the reasons Ms Peterson believes there has been an increase in pet owners electing to buy pet health insurance is the increased availability of procedures that even 20 years ago did not exist. Long-term treatments for previously deadly diseases are no longer uncommon. Cancer, tumors, chemotherapy, and surgery can quickly run a bill into the thousands of dollars, as can emergency accident care. “Policies are more comprehensive now and there are more plans for owners to choose from,” says Ms Peterson, two other reasons she believes the pet insurance industry has grown in the last decade.

Dr Karin Harter of Berkshire Veterinary Hospital in Sandy Hook has seen pet health insurance evolve over the past several years from problem-ridden plans that sent insurance companies spiraling downhill to the plans currently available that provide excellent alternatives for interested pet owners.

“For a long, long time, pet insurance would crop up and die. Another would crop up. And die. The people who bought insurance then were the ones who needed insurance. When a lot of people made claims, the premiums couldn’t cover the costs and the companies went belly-up,” she recalls. Along with improved health plans, Dr Harter believes that pet health insurance has seen a surge in popularity due to the changing attitude of Americans toward their pets. “People value human/animal bonds more now, as opposed to years ago when animals were more disposable and not seen as a companion. People nowadays are inclined to spend more money on their pet,” she says.

More sophisticated medical treatments and better pet foods mean that pets are living longer, says Dr Harter. With old age, serious health problems come up that can result in huge veterinarian bills. The trend to have pet health insurance to care for those geriatric issues and unforeseen accidents has definitely increased among pet owners, according to this veterinarian, particularly for those people very attentive to their pet’s needs.

One of the benefits to having pet health insurance that Dr Harter has noticed is the inclination for owners to pursue health care for their pet before a problem is exacerbated by trying to wait it out. “People with pet insurance tend to come in more often.”

“I’m a fan of pet insurance for catastrophic situations,” says Dr Mixon. People with a purebred or people who couldn’t afford to pay out one or two thousand dollars at a time would also be good candidates for purchasing pet insurance. “You’d hate to have to make a decision about your pet’s health based on what you can afford,” he says. However, pet owners should consider that it is rare to incur a bill of more than $2,000 at a time, or at the most, $5,000 in a pet’s lifetime. “Most pet insurance plans cost about $200 or $300 a year. It’s an economic thing. If you invested that $300 a year, you’d have more than enough to cover emergencies or geriatric care,” is his opinion. He almost never recommends pet insurance for cats.

A recent transplant from Florida where he practiced veterinary medicine for ten years, Dr Mixon observed that in that southern state, pet insurance was frequently purchased by his clients. He noticed, though, that many often did not re-up after one year. “They found they didn’t use it,” he says.

For those who feel they would benefit from the security of pet insurance, careful consideration must be given to the selection. Pet insurance varies greatly in price and coverage, depending upon the company and the plan.

Pet health insurance companies that provide coverage in Connecticut cost anywhere from $10 to $18 a month for basic care for an adult dog, according to quotes received online. Basic plans can be for accidents only, vaccinations and exams, or may offer a flat percentage off of routine and emergency care at participating providers.

Some companies offer a discount for more than two pets on the same plan. Other pet insurance companies charge an additional fee per family pet.

Clients of QuickCare pet insurance pay a $50 deductible, while Pethealth’s annual deductible is $100. Annual fee charges can increase the cost of coverage and most pet insurance plans found online did not cover costs 100 percent.

VPI Pet Insurance bills itself as the nation’s oldest and largest pet health insurance company. It offers a wide variety of health plans for the pet with differing discounts, deductibles, and coverage tailored to meet the needs of its many customers. Paying a higher deductible results in a lower monthly payment with the standard plan offered by this company, but maximum benefit per policy term is less than if the superior plan is selected.

How much, if any, insurance to buy is left to the discretion of the pet owner. Does pet insurance pay off in the long run? It is difficult to say, says Dr Harter. “The way the insurance industry is set up, I give the owner a bill and they submit it to the insurance company. The insurance company reimburses the pet owner directly.”

However, particularly when pet insurance is purchased early on in a pet’s life, it can be a very good thing, agree local veterinarians. “There is no way to tell which pet will or will not get sick,” Dr Silverlieb says.

Food, health care, toys, training, boarding, insurance, and time all play into the cost of owning a pet. How much is that doggie in the window, really? Only the love is free.