[Britster]

Originally Posted by gemy

Thinking about this some more. And taking a break from washing the big boy.

I feel as a "short statement of axiomatic truth" If you can't afford the VET you can't afford the PET. It is a good one. On the plus side it is short and succinct and is a good statement for potential new dog owners. I believe it was constructed way back when, to create a sharp jolt to the system, so that the person would stop and consider do I really have the funds to care for my animal?

I also feel that as time goes on in a dog's life, that not only quality of life is important, but just how much life is left! Many large breeds - Great Dane is one, Irish Wolfhound is another, have an average life expectancy of 7 yrs. My breed is 10 yrs. So that also comes into the equation when considering extraordinary vet care - of course not normal vet care. And large breed dogs do NOT do well with limb surgery and recovery. Just too much weight on the limbs, and it is very hard to try to ameliorate weight borne when the dog needs to go out to eliminate.

With my experience with cancer in my gal, I will be getting insurance for my next new pup. I have until this point in time always self insured. But situations can change. We are looking to retire in the next few years and insurance seems to be a safety stop - financially speaking.

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

I agree with that statement, "If you can't afford a vet, you can't afford a pet."
BEFORE you get any pet, you should be aware of the costs of basic care. A woman at work has two little girls that would love to have a dog, so she's been thinking about getting one for the past year. Her girls must really have been working on her lately, because she asked me last week, about how much is costs me per month/year for ZoE, so she has a rough idea about what she's thinking of getting herself into. I think everyone should do that...figure out the basic costs BEFORE looking for a pet and falling in love with a sweet face.



That's my biggest issue with people that claim they "just can't afford it"..when it comes to taking care of their pet(s). If you're buying a cappuccino on the way to work every other day and you've just bought yourself the newest iphone, and you've booked your next vacation...you can't claim you "just can't afford" the care your pet needs. If you can't afford to care for your pet, you shouldn't be able to afford ANY extras for yourself.....or you just need to admit your a selfish &*%$# and surrender your pet to someone who values life above stuff.

Definitely agree with all of this!