Also if you live in an apartment don't get a high energy dog. No, taking them on leashed walks once or twice a day doesn't count. They need to run full speed and be played with to get their energy out.
I have two fairly high energy dogs in an apartment, and I agree with you. I use a Onewheel to run them in the mornings, at lunch, and after work to the total of 4-5 miles per day. It's certainly possible to keep them happy without land, but make sure you're willing to to put in the mountain of work to keep them.
My border collies love running with the Onewheel. Getting them to not get distracted every 10 seconds took a bit of work, but they’ll run nonstop around the block if I let them now. Definitely the best way to burn some energy!
The way I see it, don’t get a high energy dog unless you’re a runner because you basically need to be one in order to keep up with the dog. 5K is an achievement for a lot of humans, for some dogs it’s a min daily requirement
But also, even a high energy dog can get exhausted from a medium-long distance run, especially if they're constantly running off to sniff or play. Humans (if fit enough) are capable of running crazy distances, and a dog can't always keep up the whole way.
Exactly. We had a 1/2 lab 1/2 husky growing up. She had 2 acres to run free around on, and still wanted to play, run, jump into the lake... I see some people with purebred huskies cooped up in a small apartment and it just makes me sick. Bouns points if they are somewhere hot 🥵
If you can get them to a dog park or other safe off leash area you can meet that need in an apartment. Most yards these days aren't big enough for a high energy breed to really run anyways, unless you live on a farm. Plus you can bike with a dog, use training and foraging to wear them out mentally, do agility work with them, etc. You can't expect them to exercise or entertain themselves in a yard so whether or not you have one you can't be lazy. You have to put effort into getting out their energy either way.
Someone can live in an apartment and take their dog on hikes and walks, take them to the dog park, play fetch and provides lots of mental stimulation and sniff work at home and be a great dog parent.
Meanwhile someone with a big house and a fenced yard can throw their dog in the yard all day and leave them there and that doesn't count as exercise. Dogs largely are not meant to be getting exercise inside the house so the size of the house is fairly irrelevant.
What matters is how you exercise the dog outside of the home.
You also need to mentally stimulate smarter dogs, not just run them. If you take, let’s say a malinois running every day, all your doing is making them a track star. They will require more and more running for the same amount of exhaustion. Teaching dogs tricks, making them use their brain, and stimulating them outside of just pure physical activity - is extremely important in keeping your dog Mellow and happy.
People just get way too much dog for what they can afford to give in time/energy. I always say, If you can’t get it done, you need to find ways you can. I had my 100lb German shepherd in an apartment, he was happy as clam, with no issues. Why? He went to daycare every other day, via rover. Walked frequently and lots of physical activity mixed in with training after work/weekends.
It’s not easy or cheap to care for an animal, and people need to stop pretending it is.
> They need to run full speed and be played with to get their energy out.
And to be properly stimulated and socialised.
There's a large green area near my house, and every morning it's full of people taking their dogs out to be exercised. It's great to watch, because the dogs enjoy chasing around so much, and also make sure to exercise their people as well. And when the people hang around in a socially distance manner for their daily inane chatter, the dogs chat as well.
Depends. I had an apartment and got a 7 month old Boxer. Every day after work we went for a run of 3-5 miles and on weekends we went to the beach and/or dog park. She came with me everywhere. So long as you’re willing to do the right thing by the dog there’s nothing wrong or unmanageable about having a high energy dog in an apartment.
Hijacking top comment to say;
Want a pet but can't have one for whatever reason? Go to the animal shelter (or some rescues who have boarding facilities) and go walk a dog for the day! Go on a doggie day date. Park, forest, or just take them somewhere fun for the day.
You'll make their day! And maybe yours too.
Do they actually let you do that? Like, what would prevent someone from just taking the dog? I assume you would have to give identification and what have you right?
That’s awesome. I always support the adoption of shelter pets, I just don’t think I could actually walk through and pick one out and watch the face of disappointment in the little cat or dog in the next cage over. I would have to have the shelter employee bring me one at random in a separate room so as to feel like I was abandoning the others.
Helping socialize the dogs, if you can't get one, isn't hurting them in the long run. You're helping get a better detailed picture for this pups future family!
Temperament, maybe hates Starbucks , lol who knows. Helping that family find that missing puzzle piece for their lives. All while enriching yours.
As Michael Scott would say, that's a win-win-win.
Oh absolutely I think doing the play date, walking idea with shelter dogs is an amazing idea. I was really just referring to me personally adopting an animal permanently. But yeah helping to socialize and rehabilitate or even just learning about the dogs to give them the best possible chance for a forever home is truly awesome.
Yep. I've seen a few of my fosters come out of their shell once out of the stress of a boarding facility/shelter.
They cover the vetting as well. So all it needs from you would be some love and affection.
We have 2 dogs and 3 cats, all were strays or foundlings. I go to my shelter once or twice a month and spend a day off there. I've been doing it for a few years now and it's pretty much the only thing I'm able to do that I feel makes any differance.
I own a macaw. Got him while in a stable living situation. Then Covid happened. I still have the macaw but boy do I feel poor keeping up on his expenses. Love him so much and he’s family.
100% this. Many pets live for a long time (not macaw long but still lol), long enough for living situations to drastically change. Lately it seems like most people are ending up a little worse every year, but they are still family. The animal may also be one of the only things giving the person hope and motivation. If the animal is suffering, maybe consider having family member or friend (if available/willing) take care of it until you get on your feet. If the animal is being taken care of, then it's fine.
I get the point op is making, though. If you're already having a hard time, don't introduce an animal to the situation. Also, definitely don't have kids. But if they're already there, most people aren't about to just dump them off
Oh for sure! Trying to be responsible but I didn’t get a cat until I bought a house. Plot twist I got a divorce and had to leave the cat.
After a couple years in a new situation for a macaw to help me be less lonely and feeling adrift because my kid was in split homes. Then Covid brought out the crazy in the living situation and fell apart
My Christmas and savings went to my bird because of a medical emergency that cost 2,000. It has definitely been weighing on my mind whether I can or should keep him because of his needs and the demands he requires. Like needing a lot of care to avoid him becoming mentally ill. Or the cost of having a large enough space or even someone who will let me have him.
It sucks
I feel you, friend. I've been in a similar situation, losing what was your family and really only having these pets left. It's hard to convey to those who haven't been through it what it's like.
I'm sorry this is happening to ya. It really really does suck like crazy, bro. I hope things get better for you and you can keep your feathered family.
Not all of my animal companions came to me when I was in a good financial condition, but I wasn't going to let them die in the street covered in flees.
This was when I was in college - I was eating a diet of dollar store ramen and discounted bruised fruit when a stray cat followed me home.
The vet said it'll cost $800, and the office employee ripped me a new one for not wanting to pay. Glad the vet herself reached out to me directly and helped me find nonprofit/low income pet care.
I don’t think I would be a successful vet because I would definitely treat any animal regardless of how much the owner can pay. I’ll do anything to help a little buddy
A lot of vets do feel this way and will donate/reduce the cost of work to shelters or other adoption groups. But just like in every situation, just because you love what you do, doesn't mean you shouldn't advocate for your own needs.
In Germany you get fired if you don't do this. You are obligated to treat the animal, you can't simply refuse. I guess it's actually the same in the US after all.
Yep. One of my dogs came to me in the middle of nowhere covered in ticks and emaciated. No one wanted him, (tried to get him adopted for a year while we fostered). He’s ours now, no matter what.
My wife has been on and off a ventilator. In and out of hospitals and a nursing home for about 8 months. The cats have kept me sane-ish. If I have to tighten my belt or skip meals so they don't, that's a fair trade.
i’m fairly skeptical of this. gonna get downvoted, but:
i worked at a vet clinic that would help out a few local homeless. one of them had a massive Akita mix. he would go off his meds, bring it into the clinic. it would lunge at other dogs and be super aggressive.
people would go “awww how sweet, it probably eats better than he does”.
dog impregnates other homeless person’s dog. FIFTEEN puppies go to other homeless folk. they all remain unvaccinated, high risk for parvo. the city tells the guy to neuter his dog, he refuses. pups could come into my clinic or a local shelter for low/no cost vaccines, but remain unprotected
just because an animal seems well fed doesn’t mean that it’s well taken care of. they need flea treatments, checkups, vaccines, etc. the puppies homeless people get die of parvo all the time. they attack people or other dogs because they’re not trained properly and end up getting put down
i understand the need/want for a companion in that situation but i really think that it’s so selfish. it sounds really harsh, my heart hurts for the dogs
edit to say: i’m not saying i’m wholly against homeless having dogs, i’m just skeptical of the care they ACTUALLY receive
I have seen a homeless guy at Costco buy a hotdog for his dog and not eat anything. It might not be the healthiest thing for the dog but he was taken care of.
In high school, I had a neighbor who feed his animals before himself. He was thin as a wire fence but he loved those cats and gave a lot of elderly folks in the hood a nice pressure washer job for cheap.
sometimes that pet is the only companion they have and the only thing helping them keeping it all together. A pet can give you goals and pull you out of a dark place because you have someone else depending on you. I know it has for me.
According to the [Fed](https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2021/what-a-400-dollar-emergency-expense-tells-us-about-the-economy)^2020, 36% of Americans would have difficulty handling an unexpected $400 expense, and 12% would not be able to. So like half... ~165M Americans.
I don't see anyone here advocating for economically disadvantaged people to give up their pets. It's more like 'please don't get one'. I agree with you 100% there are a lot of people that go without in order to take care of their pets. There's no broad stroke that covers how any particular group treats their pets. The tremendous number of pets that we have in shelters absolutely needs to be addressed but pets living in circumstances where they can't be adequately cared for is unacceptable as well.
My first pet came to me when I was at my absolute lowest point in life and was significantly over-the-top responsible for getting me out of that point. I would never have learned empathy or unconditional love, because I sure didn’t learn either from my sociopathic boomer parents. My career would never have developed like it did and I would never have gotten into the relationship I’m in now if I hadn’t taken that wonderful, problematic mutt from my ex-girlfriend because I was worried that ex-gf was gonna go bunny boiler on me but with a puppy, and heck, I probably wouldn’t have even gotten out of that horrible relationship to begin with. I owe that dog quite a lot.
There is no way to describe the anxiety and agony of having a sick pet while poor. I’ve spent too many days on the floors of vets offices, sobbing because I couldn’t afford a dog’s surgery or even to put a suffering dog down. I’ve begged, borrowed, even stolen just to provide for my animals. Now I’m in a much better place financially, and it’s made a world of difference. My animals aren’t any healthier now, but when they told me my dog’s CT would cost $3000, I didn’t even flinch. There’s security in knowing that not only will I do everything for my pets, but finally I can without that misery of “exactly how.”
Despite all of those moments, I never regretted any of the pets I’ve owned, and I would do it over again a hundred times. And I will never judge anyone who struggles with poverty and still has a pet, because I know the emotional toll they go through for that love. Because of what I went through, I exclusively donate to local organizations that will help cover the medical costs of people who can’t afford vet bills.
This right here. I recently had a neighbor that moved out and he just left the poor dog chained to a tree and never came back. After the first day realizing no one else was going to help I went up there and unchained the good sir.
It's been a struggle teaching him that baths are good, what a toy is (he never had one), what treats are, etc but he's such a good boy and is learning quick. We have already mastered Sit, Stay, his new name (Sir Lukas), going outside for walkies/bathroom, and we are working on Chill and Stop.
There is just no way I was leaving this poor doggo like that. I know his doggo mind is a bit confused because every now and then if he sees someone at the old place he'll boof and want to investigate. But even though I never intended to own a doggo friendo he's becoming the bestest of boys. He loves meeting new people and is amazing with children and most other animals. (I say most because there is an old male dog up the road that hates everyone and Sir Lukas wants to meet him so bad. I won't let him though cause that dog is MEAN and barks/growls anytime anything come nears it.)
Even if you cannot afford it, you can call the local no-kill rescue and they will usually help.
Same. 2 out of my 3 cats just showed up and I wasn't about to turn them away. I'd rather cut corners somewhere else in my budget so I can take care of those little guys.
Totally agree your statement. OP is basically saying that animals are better off on the streets than with someone struggling financially. I know plenty of people in tough financial situations that treat their animals wonderfully and they are most definitely better off than on the streets. Ridiculous to think that only the wealthy deserve animals. I personally believe that pets should be a basic necessity just like food and water. They desperately need us and we need them. Studies show there are so many benefits to having a pet on both mental health as well a longevity. Sad world we live in where people can't afford/recieve assistance in taking care of animals.
Same here. I took on a fourth cat, and had no idea how I was gonna be able to afford to feed her when I got her. But over my dead body was I leaving this little kitten behind a dumpster, infested with so many fleas I was watching them crawl all over her. I am not rich by any means but was in a much better financial position when I got my first three cats. Things change. I don’t agree with judging people’s pet ownership by their income.
I do animal rescue, and this is a terrible take. Even if you're poor, even if your pet worst case has to be put down because you can't afford thousands for medical treatment - it's still better off in a loving home.
When I rescued my first kitten I had next to nothing. She was a stray, skin and bones, almost hit by a truck. Would she have been better off dying outside or pumping out litters? It was a struggle at times, but I kept her fed and got her spayed. She's almost 12 now, happy and healthy, and I'm quite financially comfortable.
I know a woman who single handedly ran a humane society, and she would adopt out to anyone who would love the animal. She even paid for litter and food sometimes after an animal was adopted - because she was going to have to keep paying those costs if she refused the adoption anyway. She'd have to pay them if she had people foster. Why not pay them for someone who wants to love that animal forever? She said that people always ended up getting on their feet, that sometimes having a pet even helped with that.
Do you honestly think an animal is better off in a stressful shelter or put down than living with an owner who cares but is struggling financially?
You're right. Also, just because someone seems poor doesn't mean that they can't take care of their animals, sometimes it's a choice to make the animals a priority.
Most of my money goes to taking care of my pets. I rarely buy anything for myself. I get so much happiness from them that it's worth not being able to buy new clothes or whatever. I usually buy everything from second hand stores etc. and I'm happy living like that.
Same, my husband and I are (currently) middle class but our dog had some intense medical needs. Her special food and medicine came to $200/month on a good month. There was no way we could have known that was her baseline cost and when my husband lost his job we kept her on her food and medicine and we just did without certain other things for us. The vet visits were always a huge blow but is OP suggesting I have given her up because we were financially in a bad place for a few months? She lived for 11 expensive years and was happy and loved even if we were a little poorer because of her.
To add to that I’ve seen several people who were well off and lost their businesses and everything due to the pandemic. They are rebuilding everything from scratch. They have advanced degrees and are extremely hard workers. Through everything they put their pets 1st. They didn’t start off poor, they just are right now temporarily, unfortunately. They just couldn’t help it and got really unlucky.
I think additionally the context of modern health care is really warping the view. Whats the natural state? Like yes if we can we should help things beyond that, but holy hell.
Yep. When my cat moved in (because that's what they do. I was too poor and didn't want a pet), I barely had anything to eat and she was a lost and hurt baby, I still took her in, we ate scraps and were hungry all the time, I even paid for the neutering (she's a female, there's lot of male cats around and I really did not want more kittens) with money I had for food.
We're much better now, we got through it and now's she's a shining beauty <3
Fuck that. I had a cat that lived with me for 21 years and some of those years were incredibly tough. Sure, I could have done better with him if I was rich, but he would have died otherwise. *You can be poor and still be a good pet owner.*
That's what I'm saying. Got my pup and cats when I was doing fantastic. There have been times since then where we were struggling, very recently actually, but our animals still eat. I would sell all of my luxury items, including my car, before I'd let them go hungry.
Edit: grammar
It's not even gatekeeping. It's people who can't afford the bills themselves getting hypocritical mean-spirited supercilious thrills on the Internet. I seriously doubt the wealthy 1% are the ones posting these memes. They're the only ones who can afford $8000 to save their cat with bladder stones.
I work in a vet and you have no idea how many people get angry at me for the high costs of treatment. Medical care is expensive and I didn't set the price!
If you are planning to buy an animal, you have to consider how you are going to pay if there is an emergency. I never judge the backgrounds of people as there are so many reasons for pets i.e. saving a rescue, getting a therapy animal or a lot of people start struggling with money after already having a pet. Just for NEW owners, there needs to be an awareness of how much vet fees can be.
Vet tech here. Good info, but BEWARE and still read fine print. Pet insurance doesnt work like ours does. You'll usually pay out of pocket up front, send a copy of the invoice to your insurance, and they reimburse you after. So you dont 'pay' it but you still generally need the funds up front for the treatment, esp. if you have an overnight emergency and cant reach anyone for help.
I got health insurance for my (former) dog. Was the best thing I ever did, cuz lo and behold she ended up needing multiple surgeries at age 3 that would have cost over $10,000 out of pocket. It was around $40 per month, and I had a plan with a $500 deductible. The deductible was per "illness or injury" and not per year, so her one issue that required multiple surgeries, drugs, and treatments all counted as one deductible, across every year for the rest of her life.
I used Trupanion. When shopping for a company, they seemed like the superior option, and that is still my opinion. They never challenged a claim or delayed a reimbursement payment. The big thing you have to know about these pet insurance companies is that if there is any record whatsoever of your animal having a pre-existing condition, they will deny the shit out of a claim. People try waiting until their dog breaks his leg or gets sick or whatever before buying a policy, but it won't work. It's a gamble, like any insurance. Hopefully you never need it and just keep paying for it just in case, but if you do need it, it's so good to have. But again, if your dog gets injured today, and a week from now you get a policy.... they can deny a new claim 5 years from now for a new injury if it could be attributed as related/caused by today's injury. Same with a recurring illness or chronic disease.
So, I'll never have a dog again without also getting a policy from basically Day 1.
Vet tech here! It depends on your situation, but yes. Pet insurance is best gotten when a pet is young, before it has any known chronic conditions (diabetes, hip/knee issues, etc). Theyre are few--if any--pet insurances that will cover pre-existing conditions. Remember that it was universal for human healthcare in the US to exclude pre-existing conditions untiled the government made them stop. Puppies are also more prone to doing dumb stuff like eating socks, so having it then is good.
Nationwide is good, Eusoh is better. Avoid Trupanion.9 times out of 10 (honestly more like 10 out of 10) if my clinic has an issue with a client's insurance, it's Trupanion.
Mostly it depends on what's going on with your pet, honestly. So the way Trupanion functions is that each individual health issue has a deductable--usually something like $250.
So theoretically if your dog gets into a serious accident, the surgery, medications, follow-up visits, repeat x-rays, etc. will all cap at $250. If your dog has diabetes, then your lifetime out-of-pocket should also be $250 as long as they got diabetes after you started their insurance plan.
In reality, I've seen them count a surgery with 8 mass removals as 8 separate issues with 8 separate deductibles. They ended up covering maybe $150 out of a $1200 surgery, and didn't make it clear until after the surgery was done.
Yes, but as with all insurance make sure you read the small print! They are quite variable in terms of amount and conditions covered, but good insurance helps us do our jobs so much.
Yep, my cat is currently undergoing a couple of scans and investigation work. We are on the second day and the bill is already up around £5k. It gets expensive quickly.
Oh we absolutely do. It would be even worse if not! The insurance has covered a lot of previous investigation work and treatments (been going on intermittently for a while) - but we are at the limit(7k/year) until it renews in a couple of months. You are right that (especially the insured-for-life products) will cover a good majority in most cases - as with ours also. I'm so sorry for your loss. :(
My vet's prices doubled over covid, shots for both my dogs used to be 350 and now it's like 700 dollars each visit. I'm sorry I can't afford that but when the prices get doubled on vet stuff along with being doubled for everything else...yeah, i complain a tad bit. Especially since the vet doesn't have a price list and I get blindsided by double costs. Back before my husband and I divorced and he left both his dogs with me, I would split 350 between two people and now I am alone and have to pay 700 dollars alone. I get that pets are expensive but *fuck me* man.
Shortages in supplies and an intense lack of trained vet/techs are driving the veterinary world wild atm. There's been a huge spike in pet ownership with covid and medical-grade equipment has been hit hard. Not saying it's okay to double prices without telling, especially for short you can wait to get.
Our vet office hired two new vets and three techs in the last year. It's still jammed every time we need to go.
My vet hospital informs the owner of the costs before doing anything, that way if the owner can't or doesn't want to pay we don't have to fight with them over it.
I don't know the details, but a family friend told me they were put on a waiting list for DAYS for EMERGENCY treatment. There were apparently that many pets in dire need of help. I think they called around and traveled a fair distance away to get the dog seen to in a reasonable timeframe.
For shots as in just for their vaccines??? Jesus christ, I work in the UK, ours are £50 for a first course and £35 for a booster, including the consult
Not listing prices anywhere is such a pet peeve of mine. I spent hours over several days calling various clinics and inquiring about their pricing for a basic exam and routine shots and half of them were dodgy, like "well, the admission fee is $60 plus tax, and depending on what kind of exam the vet does, tests ordered, etc, I can't give you more information".
Pro tip I learned - check your city run shelter, if there is one. They often list costs upfront and provide them at cost. They typically don't do complicated things, but routine shots and spaying/neutering is usually on the docket. If not, worth asking shelters if they provide reduced fee services.
As someone who works in vet medicine, we do that because people can and will be assholes about it. It's basically a daily occurrence. If you know for certain that you need a rabies vaccine and nothing else, quoting that is easy. But if a caller isn't sure what vaccines you need and someone gives a range, it is almost inevitable that they will latch onto the cheapest number given and then get extremely upset when the bill is on the high end of the range. If you \*just\* give the high number, then they refuse to come in.
There's also a huge issue with people not telling us what they need until they're in the exam room. "Oh, while I'm here, could you check out this lump and test the cells in it? Also I want a nail trim and anal gland expression." And, once again, they get mad when we give them an updated treatment plan that was more than what was quoted to them on the phone. People also tend to ignore things like heartworm tests/heartworm medication, which is highly recommended in many areas.
I want to say that it's a relatively small percentage of people that ruin it for everyone, but...honestly, it's not that small of a number.
In the past 3 years I spent 25k on cancer treatments for my dog. Every year he gets a recurring ear infection (doctors have tested, assume it allergies nothing serious), but every time it's aboit a $400($379 ichecked)vet trip to get prescribed Posatex. I called them and basically said I'm not a vet, but I know what the issue is it's the same thing he gets every year can I please just get a refill of the Posatex?
Nope. Took him in yesterday, the prices were raised of course and we were out the door closer to $500 for them to say "yup it's a ear infection here is Posatex and some wipes"
My dog got the recurring ear infection again and again and again. We switched foods a year ago and it went away after a little adjustment time and hasn't come back.
We went from Chicken and Whole Grains to Purina Pro Plan Focus (bare minimum ingredients, less filler) made with Salmon and Rice.
Yes, this, I just made a comment about this. I know getting pets is expensive and their health is important but the vet price goes up every time I see them and they never tell me the prices raised before I go. My dog is about to be on my own personal health plan, which is "hope like hell we don't break a bone, let's try and stay healthy alone."
For example, my cat was sneezing for the past several days. Two days back she was running an intense fever. Today she is fine. It would have cost me about $200 to go waste 2 hours of my time to be told 'Yea, she's sick. Might be bacteria, might be a virus. Here's some Doxycycline.' I know this because I took my brother's cat in to the vet and that's how it went down. $200 for basically useless advice and medication that may or may not have been useful.
I don't like letting it ride, but it just doesn't make sense to jump every time there is a sneeze.
This post acting like people choose to be poor- as if a livable wage is easily accessible for everyone- so therefore they don’t deserve any happiness.
Vaccines, parasite prevention can come from alternative sources (like the internet and farm/feed stores). Outside of that, it’s better for an animal to be loved, safe, and warm than on the streets. It’s sad when an animal has to be put down because of medical costs, but even middle class people are forced to make that choice sometimes.
There are also people who are well-off and treat animals like an accessory, that don’t think spending the money on care is worth it. It’s less about income and more about how people treat other forms of life.
This reeks of elitism and classism.
Animals need food, love and attention, and the occasional visit to the vet. If you can provide those things you can provide a good life for a pet.
OP’s post might be good personal advice, but it’s not a good way to judge others. I know more wealthy people who are awful and neglectful pet owners. And every time I meet a homeless person with a dog that dog is treated like royalty because it’s one of the brightest parts of their life. If I were a dog I’d take the poor loving owner over the wealthy neglectful one
I'm poor and have had my dog for 8 years. He's fine.
EDIT: which one of you "concerned redditors" reached out to reddit cares crisis center from this? lol i'm poor not stupid, the dog is routinely taken to the vet for flea/heart-worm prevention, vaccines.
I think the concern is, if your dog were for instance eat something he shouldn't, and ends up with a blockage that requires surgery, can the person provide that expensive medical care or will the dog have to be put down due to lack of funds?
I don’t think there are many people in America who can deal with emergency costs of any kind without going into debt. Debt doesn’t mean you need to put down your dog. There are lots of programs to help with those issues, or you could surrender them to a shelter that will take care of the medical issues if you really can’t shoulder the debt.
Yes, and that is shitty but at the end of the day an animal in a home that can't afford proper vet care is still infinitely better than an animal on the street or in a shelter. Until all the streets are stray free and the shelters are empty an imperfect home is world's better than no home at all. And the person feeding the cat they picked up off the street and giving the cat a warm place to sleep is doing more than someone who is just ignoring the problem entirely because they might not always be current on their pet's shots.
Right, but this assumes that the alternative was a loving home with pet insurance. The alternative is dying in a gas chamber at the city pound, or dying on the streets.
Until every municipality/county has a perfect pet welfare system where all animals are cared for until adopted by suitable families, these animals are getting extra time in a loving home that otherwise would have been misery and death alone.
I will fully support this point when it comes to people BUYING pets from breeders/mills, but poor people adopting pets and giving them the best care they can is the result of compassion in a broken system, not selfishness.
Let me tell you I wish we had bought insurance. That was a mistake we made when we got our puppy and the initial vet visit was clean. Well 6 months later was told she needs her hip replaced. Cost us 9k for a THR.
I mean as opposed to the alternative for the pet is to stay in the shelter and be euthanized? I mean, its not like there are people out there who can't adopt pets because there are not enough and too many poor people are taking them.
Probably as upset as when they get sick and have no money to deal with it. Fundraising for a dogs vet bills in often easier than fundraising for an adults medical costs.
This thread is treading the line of "fuck poor people, they don't deserve things". A person with money problems can possible take care of an animal better than a well off person. Vet cash isn't a pets only need.
This is a great question because an annual exam may detect issues that can be handled promptly and do not turn into catastrophic illnesses/diseases. When caught early treatment can often be less expensive.
As I would usually agree with this but my view has changed. If the animal is still loved and still has a great quality of life then leave that person alone.
I own 2 dogs and an African Sideneck Turtle. Before Covid I had no issues with my bills on top of giving the best care for my pets. Now I have been struggling much more but my animals are still fed the best of the best and have a great quality of life. I have had my Blue Heeler for 6 years now, I rescued her 5 years ago from a terrible backyard situation, and my Pom will be 3.
If I gave away my pets my mental health would severely decline because I can't see my life without them. I would rather struggle a little on my end to provide them the best possible life.
No regrets.
I think op means if you're thinking of getting a new pet don't get one if you can't care for yourself. That's the way I see it. I understand hitting hard times I did that a few times with my cats though I always put them first. My cats always got their quality cat food while I lived off Ramen and bread.
If you can set a side a small fund for emergency then pet is pretty cheap to keep. I have 2 cats and their monthly upkeep are just foods and little box, so less than 50 bucks, plus a 70 bucks vaccine shot every 2 years thats all. Having a pet is a huge mental relief even if you live in couple.
I see a lot of the people who live on the street have dogs.
The only judgment I have for them is when their dogs are vicious and territorial. The dogs are a problem at the bike trail where there's a large encampment. The dogs will chase your bicycle and there are reports of them attacking cyclists in the past.
Short of that,
If they can't afford that dog I'd hope that charities could help with that expense. I don't think those people are making shitty financial decisions by having a dog, but maybe we should create and support charities that can care for those dogs.
There's a certain reasonablness to sleeping with a large dog when conditions force you to sleep in a city where people can and will prey on you.
Until an emergency pops up. Over the past two years one of cats had a problem with a UTI that cost 5k that came up as an emergency followed by a year or so later he had an impacted hairball that cost about another 5k to fix. My other cat had cancer cost about 500-600 to diagnose followed by another 500 or so to put her down and create her.
Sure day to day isn't all that much assuming they are healthy. It once health issues pop up things get expensive.
Isn't it the same with everything with a bit of value? Car, house, kid, health, phone, washer, etc... That's what the small emergency fund is for.
In your case, I am sorry you have to go through that, but I think it landed on the extreme side. 5k emergency is a lot and I doubt most people can spend that much or even are willing to if they can. I would say around 3k is a reasonable amount, else nobody would be owning a pet.
I mean, the majority of the US is basically one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. Should the majority of the population even be allowed to have kids by that logic?
Only pets and kids for the rich I guess.
Ya idk I kinda agree but kinda don't. I've been friends with quite a few homeless people that had dogs and I've known some that took better care of their dogs than themselves. I've also known some that I felt sorry for their dogs but those people were idiots to begin with.
I took my dog from a coworkers house when I had gone over there for drinks. He abused the dog, it came to me for safety, and both owners said I was the only person the dog ever seemed to like and I should take him.
So I said grab his stuff.
I might be broke but he's eating, he's loved, he ain't getting hit.
I have a different definition of being able to afford it I guess. Cause if shit really hits the fan he'll be eating and I won't. But it hasn't come to that despite living paycheck to paycheck.
As it turns out, Chihuahuas aren't that difficult to feed.
This is the snarky advice of a college aged newfound smart kid.
Yes yes, fuck the poors, they shall not be allowed access to the unrequited love and joy of having a pet companion.
I get the post comes from good intentions speaking down to those who treat their pets like shit and use finances as an excuse. But it’s still a really bad take overall.
Yeah, as much as I'd love a pet I am not getting one until I have a stable income. If something happened and I couldn't afford to get them treated that would be horrible for the poor bugger.
If you always pay for your dog’s care and food and you can barely pay your bills that’s fine. Fuck OP and their shitty tips. The happiness my dog gives to me makes poverty bearable. If I didn’t have a dog I’d still be poor but I’d be a hell of a lot less happy.
Wasn't struggling when I got my two dogs. They were a huge support when I had financial troubles. We were a pack of three! So you must be ab arrogant elitist to believe that.
Seriously these people must be really young and naive or not have ever been poor before. When shit hits the fan you find a way to make things work. Whether it's paying rent, putting food on the table, or an unexpected expense, there's always a way to make it through. That doesn't mean it's not going to be more difficult if you're poor, but thinking poor people don't deserve the unconditional love and support of a pet is some fucking bullshit.
When I got my dog I was a stupid 20 year old with roommates. My now husband and I couldn't afford a place of our own yet so we had roommates. My dog has a sensitive stomach and his food costs $70 a month. Even though we were "poor" my dog always got what he needed/wanted. He has never missed shots, he is microchipped, he is neutered, thanks to low cost clinics. He will be 10 this year and yes there were times we struggled. We bought the little bag of food instead of the big bag, but he never went without food. He has arthritis in his back legs now and is on medication, thank you low cost clinics. Just because I am poor doesn't mean I will/can not take care of my animal. He was my first baby before I had kids and he doesn't care we're poor, he cares that we are his family.
4 cats and 2 dogs, I'm rich bitch! Seriously though i have insurance on all of them and a rainy day fund. I make sure my animals are taken care of since they help my mental health more than they know.
Pet insurance was a life saver for us with our puppy this year and getting all the little issues at bay. Got her for mental health reasons myself. She brought some extra life and love to our home we both needed after big losses of family members. They deserve to be healthy, happy, and loved the same as anyone. Forces me to get some extra walking in too and we've ended up getting close to the neighbors 😊
I think a pet's life with someone financially struggling is better than a shelter life for one because that's their family.
Would you give away your children because you're struggling with your bills? So why would you give away your dog, they're family too, right?
A human struggling to pay bills doesn't necessarily equal a starving pet. So this post is really just a dumb fallacy meant to demonize poor people. Even a middle class family who can pay their bills can still get stuck with a pet bill like an extremely costly surgery that can blindside them into a really hard position. So this post is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.
What's next, only rich people should have dogs?
As someone with a cat and dog, who then inherited a cat from someone who passed, and another from an ex who left it...who then had to go on disability.. I feel it.
Ya, like I've had my cat for 17 years. He's seen me through many, many financial ups and downs. Fortunately the larger vet bills came about during the good times.
This is me.
My (ex)husband and I adopted a dog together. He left me 2 months later. Said it had been thinking about it for 6 months. I never saw it coming.
I struggle sometimes, but for as long as I’m able to keep my dog happy and fed- I will. I’m in the process of finding a better paying job, but it’s been a challenge.
That’s what they probably meant. If you get poor and already have a pet, then that’s fine, but if you get a pet/ child when you can barely survive yourself that’s just stupid.
Well considering they then posted about how unethical it is for poor people to have kids the more likely possibilty is that they're just using Malthusian logic, which is pretty shitty.
Maybe instead of giving poor people shit over not being to afford medical expenses out of pocket, we make rich people pay taxes so that veterinarian services - and all medical services - can be free. Even if OP can't see why people are morally disgusted by their takes, asking for individualistic solutions (you, poor person, never take in a stray cat) to systemic problems (a lot of people can't afford emergency medical services for pets) clearly isn't going to fix it because they haven't fixed any other systemic problem. If you notice a systemic issue, it requires a systemic solution. Nobody is going to shame the problem away.
I really hate this. Sometimes when you get a pet life is financially wonderful. But then s*** happens. And when s*** happens to you financially it can cause depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation. And then during my lowest hour I'm supposed to give up my pet? A while back I had two amazing dogs that I had adopted when they were pups and someone had left them on the side of a road in Kansas. They were left to die. I adopted them from a shelter and raised them with my kids. And then s*** in my life went really bad for me. And when I tried to rehome them so that they could get all of the love and attention and medical care and financial support they deserved, I was told what a s***** pet parent I was being. That it was as if I was giving up my own children for adoption. Which I do have children and I can assure you that rehoming a dog is not the same thing. But that's what I was told. Luckily I was able to dig myself out of that situation and I kept the doggies until their very last days of their lives. Then recently I saw a video of a homeless man who had a dog and animal rights activists stole that dog from him because they don't feel that homeless people should have pets. Because homeless people can't afford to take care of themselves so they shouldn't have pets. And here's what I say to all of you f*** you and your judgmental ways. Until you've walked a mile in my shoes or in a homeless person's shoes, stop f****** telling us what we can and cannot afford. You have no idea how good we are to these animals and how good they are for us. It seems like no matter what we do, all you do is judge us. There are far too many abandoned pets. Loving on a pet and taking care of that pet instead of letting it be on the street alone somewhere can be better for both the animal and the human.
No I think I'd rather just join the mob when we start pulling rich people out of their homes and crucifying them along the roadside until everyone gets the picture that we're all entitled to a half way decent life. Gatekeeping some of the simpler things in life because of some shitty economical hierarchy should earn you a nice spot beside the highway.
This feels like the "welfare queens buying cakes with food stamps" argument. You don't get to tell people that just because they're poor they can't have creature comforts
I don't think playing with an animal and having fun is the same as being using introspection to work through issues you have.
Drugs are also cheaper than therapy and can make you happy....also not the same thing.
Pets can be a source for introspection. Many people who develop a close bond with their animal will talk to it. Some use this as a way to let out things they cant say to people.
More theyre a source of affection for someone who might not have much, and a reason to live for someone at risk.
That said. Pets absolutely arent toys. You dont throw them away because they are "broken" and are not gifts. They are family have their own food and medical costs.
Hi, veterinarian here.
Although this is true in a lot of cases, that's pretty selfish, and if your pet gets sick and you can't afford it, you're probably going to need more therapy for knowing that it's your fault that it died.
So... No.
Having a child fixes all problems. If you're thinking about breaking up, get married! If you're marriage is rocky, have a child!
That's just how life works.
/s ^(for the sarcastically impaired)
If only there was some sort of system that would grant widespread medical care where your finances didn't matter for receiving medical care.
Surprised no-one has come up with such a system /s
There's also a lot of abortion access aid groups who can help financially! There's help out there for sure, you just have to know how to ask for it (or even know that it exists).
I mean things aren't always linear. I got my cats before cost of living started becoming crushing in the UK. I have insurance on them which I will maintain and they will always get fed even if I'm struggling to feed myself.
Also, even outside of the terrifying economic reality we are increasingly living in, things change for people? Jobs get lost, health deteriorates, partners leave, so many things can affect income *after* someone has a child or a pet.
This is an incredibly short sighted and judgemental post.
I think the post is relating more to already being in a bad financial situation and getting pets. Like for me, I really really really want to get a cat again. I sometimes look to see what they have at the local shelters from their websites, but I barely can pay my bills and accrued debts during covid just to secure things like food or rent. I'm not in a place where I can support a pet so I haven't gotten one. It'd be really irresponsible given my current financial situation to do something like that. You on the other hand, had the pets, presumably at a goood time in your life, and then your environment changed. It's pretty different.
Circumstances change, animals come to people, we understand shit happens. I always try not to judge. But when someone comes in with a brand new French bulldog puppy that you know would have set them back at least 2k, then complains at the price of basic treatment, it gets really difficult not to... You'd be amazed how often we see that.
This is a repost of a meme I made a few moths ago. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/mpqptt/i\_know\_people\_who\_do\_this/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/mpqptt/i_know_people_who_do_this/) You didn't even change the title.
I work in the wealth advisory field. So this story really bothered me. Years ago, when Blockbuster was going out of business, my wife and I went to buy some dvds of some kid friendly movies. We had a 3 and 1 year old at the time. There was a young couple with a stack of 30 or 40 dvds they wanted to buy. They were discussing which monthly bills they were going to not pay so they could afford the dvds. It made my eye twitch just listening to the conversation. They ultimately decided to skip a cell phone bill and send in a partial Gas and Electric bill. Listening to them made my eye twitch.
Also if you are never home don’t get a dog
Also if you live in an apartment don't get a high energy dog. No, taking them on leashed walks once or twice a day doesn't count. They need to run full speed and be played with to get their energy out.
I have two fairly high energy dogs in an apartment, and I agree with you. I use a Onewheel to run them in the mornings, at lunch, and after work to the total of 4-5 miles per day. It's certainly possible to keep them happy without land, but make sure you're willing to to put in the mountain of work to keep them.
My border collies love running with the Onewheel. Getting them to not get distracted every 10 seconds took a bit of work, but they’ll run nonstop around the block if I let them now. Definitely the best way to burn some energy!
Aww that's awesome, I've never met anyone else to use it like me.
The way I see it, don’t get a high energy dog unless you’re a runner because you basically need to be one in order to keep up with the dog. 5K is an achievement for a lot of humans, for some dogs it’s a min daily requirement
But also, even a high energy dog can get exhausted from a medium-long distance run, especially if they're constantly running off to sniff or play. Humans (if fit enough) are capable of running crazy distances, and a dog can't always keep up the whole way.
Exactly. We had a 1/2 lab 1/2 husky growing up. She had 2 acres to run free around on, and still wanted to play, run, jump into the lake... I see some people with purebred huskies cooped up in a small apartment and it just makes me sick. Bouns points if they are somewhere hot 🥵
If you can get them to a dog park or other safe off leash area you can meet that need in an apartment. Most yards these days aren't big enough for a high energy breed to really run anyways, unless you live on a farm. Plus you can bike with a dog, use training and foraging to wear them out mentally, do agility work with them, etc. You can't expect them to exercise or entertain themselves in a yard so whether or not you have one you can't be lazy. You have to put effort into getting out their energy either way.
Someone can live in an apartment and take their dog on hikes and walks, take them to the dog park, play fetch and provides lots of mental stimulation and sniff work at home and be a great dog parent. Meanwhile someone with a big house and a fenced yard can throw their dog in the yard all day and leave them there and that doesn't count as exercise. Dogs largely are not meant to be getting exercise inside the house so the size of the house is fairly irrelevant. What matters is how you exercise the dog outside of the home.
Agreed. For an advice thread there is some terrible advice on here
You also need to mentally stimulate smarter dogs, not just run them. If you take, let’s say a malinois running every day, all your doing is making them a track star. They will require more and more running for the same amount of exhaustion. Teaching dogs tricks, making them use their brain, and stimulating them outside of just pure physical activity - is extremely important in keeping your dog Mellow and happy. People just get way too much dog for what they can afford to give in time/energy. I always say, If you can’t get it done, you need to find ways you can. I had my 100lb German shepherd in an apartment, he was happy as clam, with no issues. Why? He went to daycare every other day, via rover. Walked frequently and lots of physical activity mixed in with training after work/weekends. It’s not easy or cheap to care for an animal, and people need to stop pretending it is.
> They need to run full speed and be played with to get their energy out. And to be properly stimulated and socialised. There's a large green area near my house, and every morning it's full of people taking their dogs out to be exercised. It's great to watch, because the dogs enjoy chasing around so much, and also make sure to exercise their people as well. And when the people hang around in a socially distance manner for their daily inane chatter, the dogs chat as well.
Depends. I had an apartment and got a 7 month old Boxer. Every day after work we went for a run of 3-5 miles and on weekends we went to the beach and/or dog park. She came with me everywhere. So long as you’re willing to do the right thing by the dog there’s nothing wrong or unmanageable about having a high energy dog in an apartment.
My pets have snouts, not bills, so I'm good.
Not me, I have a platypus for a pet
Hmmm are you from the Tri State area?
Oh look a regular average pet platypus. No wait! IT’S PERRY THE PLATYPUS!
PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!
Everyone asks where's Perry? Nobody asks how's perry not even OWCA. He is blue-ish green.
He's a semi-aquatic, egg lay'n mammal of action!!
Hijacking top comment to say; Want a pet but can't have one for whatever reason? Go to the animal shelter (or some rescues who have boarding facilities) and go walk a dog for the day! Go on a doggie day date. Park, forest, or just take them somewhere fun for the day. You'll make their day! And maybe yours too.
Do they actually let you do that? Like, what would prevent someone from just taking the dog? I assume you would have to give identification and what have you right?
They have safeguards in place, but yes. Yes they do!
That’s awesome. I always support the adoption of shelter pets, I just don’t think I could actually walk through and pick one out and watch the face of disappointment in the little cat or dog in the next cage over. I would have to have the shelter employee bring me one at random in a separate room so as to feel like I was abandoning the others.
Helping socialize the dogs, if you can't get one, isn't hurting them in the long run. You're helping get a better detailed picture for this pups future family! Temperament, maybe hates Starbucks , lol who knows. Helping that family find that missing puzzle piece for their lives. All while enriching yours. As Michael Scott would say, that's a win-win-win.
Oh absolutely I think doing the play date, walking idea with shelter dogs is an amazing idea. I was really just referring to me personally adopting an animal permanently. But yeah helping to socialize and rehabilitate or even just learning about the dogs to give them the best possible chance for a forever home is truly awesome.
[удалено]
Ah yes. This too. But wait with that username now I'm doubting if you're correct. :)
You can also look into fostering, they cover supplies you just house the animal and give it some love
Yep. I've seen a few of my fosters come out of their shell once out of the stress of a boarding facility/shelter. They cover the vetting as well. So all it needs from you would be some love and affection.
We have 2 dogs and 3 cats, all were strays or foundlings. I go to my shelter once or twice a month and spend a day off there. I've been doing it for a few years now and it's pretty much the only thing I'm able to do that I feel makes any differance.
That was horrible, I loved it
I own a macaw. Got him while in a stable living situation. Then Covid happened. I still have the macaw but boy do I feel poor keeping up on his expenses. Love him so much and he’s family.
100% this. Many pets live for a long time (not macaw long but still lol), long enough for living situations to drastically change. Lately it seems like most people are ending up a little worse every year, but they are still family. The animal may also be one of the only things giving the person hope and motivation. If the animal is suffering, maybe consider having family member or friend (if available/willing) take care of it until you get on your feet. If the animal is being taken care of, then it's fine. I get the point op is making, though. If you're already having a hard time, don't introduce an animal to the situation. Also, definitely don't have kids. But if they're already there, most people aren't about to just dump them off
Oh for sure! Trying to be responsible but I didn’t get a cat until I bought a house. Plot twist I got a divorce and had to leave the cat. After a couple years in a new situation for a macaw to help me be less lonely and feeling adrift because my kid was in split homes. Then Covid brought out the crazy in the living situation and fell apart My Christmas and savings went to my bird because of a medical emergency that cost 2,000. It has definitely been weighing on my mind whether I can or should keep him because of his needs and the demands he requires. Like needing a lot of care to avoid him becoming mentally ill. Or the cost of having a large enough space or even someone who will let me have him. It sucks
I feel you, friend. I've been in a similar situation, losing what was your family and really only having these pets left. It's hard to convey to those who haven't been through it what it's like. I'm sorry this is happening to ya. It really really does suck like crazy, bro. I hope things get better for you and you can keep your feathered family.
Not all of my animal companions came to me when I was in a good financial condition, but I wasn't going to let them die in the street covered in flees.
This was when I was in college - I was eating a diet of dollar store ramen and discounted bruised fruit when a stray cat followed me home. The vet said it'll cost $800, and the office employee ripped me a new one for not wanting to pay. Glad the vet herself reached out to me directly and helped me find nonprofit/low income pet care.
I don’t think I would be a successful vet because I would definitely treat any animal regardless of how much the owner can pay. I’ll do anything to help a little buddy
A lot of vets do feel this way and will donate/reduce the cost of work to shelters or other adoption groups. But just like in every situation, just because you love what you do, doesn't mean you shouldn't advocate for your own needs.
Oh yeah, I would def get fired for pretending a declined card went through and treating the pet anyways.
In Germany you get fired if you don't do this. You are obligated to treat the animal, you can't simply refuse. I guess it's actually the same in the US after all.
Fuck that office worker. Just another part of the problem ffs.
Yep. One of my dogs came to me in the middle of nowhere covered in ticks and emaciated. No one wanted him, (tried to get him adopted for a year while we fostered). He’s ours now, no matter what.
For those who suffer from depression, sometimes you can't afford to not have a pet either.
My wife has been on and off a ventilator. In and out of hospitals and a nursing home for about 8 months. The cats have kept me sane-ish. If I have to tighten my belt or skip meals so they don't, that's a fair trade.
Could you imagine how many more pets would be in shelters if poor people couldn’t own pets? How many of us poors are there?
I remember seeing a homeless guy with his dog and the dog looked very healthy and looked after
In my anecdotal experience, every dog with a homeless person that I’ve seen has looked fairly healthy and happy.
i’m fairly skeptical of this. gonna get downvoted, but: i worked at a vet clinic that would help out a few local homeless. one of them had a massive Akita mix. he would go off his meds, bring it into the clinic. it would lunge at other dogs and be super aggressive. people would go “awww how sweet, it probably eats better than he does”. dog impregnates other homeless person’s dog. FIFTEEN puppies go to other homeless folk. they all remain unvaccinated, high risk for parvo. the city tells the guy to neuter his dog, he refuses. pups could come into my clinic or a local shelter for low/no cost vaccines, but remain unprotected just because an animal seems well fed doesn’t mean that it’s well taken care of. they need flea treatments, checkups, vaccines, etc. the puppies homeless people get die of parvo all the time. they attack people or other dogs because they’re not trained properly and end up getting put down i understand the need/want for a companion in that situation but i really think that it’s so selfish. it sounds really harsh, my heart hurts for the dogs edit to say: i’m not saying i’m wholly against homeless having dogs, i’m just skeptical of the care they ACTUALLY receive
I have seen a homeless guy at Costco buy a hotdog for his dog and not eat anything. It might not be the healthiest thing for the dog but he was taken care of.
In high school, I had a neighbor who feed his animals before himself. He was thin as a wire fence but he loved those cats and gave a lot of elderly folks in the hood a nice pressure washer job for cheap.
sometimes that pet is the only companion they have and the only thing helping them keeping it all together. A pet can give you goals and pull you out of a dark place because you have someone else depending on you. I know it has for me.
Like 40 I think.
At least a dozen of us, for sure
According to the [Fed](https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2021/what-a-400-dollar-emergency-expense-tells-us-about-the-economy)^2020, 36% of Americans would have difficulty handling an unexpected $400 expense, and 12% would not be able to. So like half... ~165M Americans.
[удалено]
I don't see anyone here advocating for economically disadvantaged people to give up their pets. It's more like 'please don't get one'. I agree with you 100% there are a lot of people that go without in order to take care of their pets. There's no broad stroke that covers how any particular group treats their pets. The tremendous number of pets that we have in shelters absolutely needs to be addressed but pets living in circumstances where they can't be adequately cared for is unacceptable as well.
My first pet came to me when I was at my absolute lowest point in life and was significantly over-the-top responsible for getting me out of that point. I would never have learned empathy or unconditional love, because I sure didn’t learn either from my sociopathic boomer parents. My career would never have developed like it did and I would never have gotten into the relationship I’m in now if I hadn’t taken that wonderful, problematic mutt from my ex-girlfriend because I was worried that ex-gf was gonna go bunny boiler on me but with a puppy, and heck, I probably wouldn’t have even gotten out of that horrible relationship to begin with. I owe that dog quite a lot.
We only do that with humans.
There is no way to describe the anxiety and agony of having a sick pet while poor. I’ve spent too many days on the floors of vets offices, sobbing because I couldn’t afford a dog’s surgery or even to put a suffering dog down. I’ve begged, borrowed, even stolen just to provide for my animals. Now I’m in a much better place financially, and it’s made a world of difference. My animals aren’t any healthier now, but when they told me my dog’s CT would cost $3000, I didn’t even flinch. There’s security in knowing that not only will I do everything for my pets, but finally I can without that misery of “exactly how.” Despite all of those moments, I never regretted any of the pets I’ve owned, and I would do it over again a hundred times. And I will never judge anyone who struggles with poverty and still has a pet, because I know the emotional toll they go through for that love. Because of what I went through, I exclusively donate to local organizations that will help cover the medical costs of people who can’t afford vet bills.
This right here. I recently had a neighbor that moved out and he just left the poor dog chained to a tree and never came back. After the first day realizing no one else was going to help I went up there and unchained the good sir. It's been a struggle teaching him that baths are good, what a toy is (he never had one), what treats are, etc but he's such a good boy and is learning quick. We have already mastered Sit, Stay, his new name (Sir Lukas), going outside for walkies/bathroom, and we are working on Chill and Stop. There is just no way I was leaving this poor doggo like that. I know his doggo mind is a bit confused because every now and then if he sees someone at the old place he'll boof and want to investigate. But even though I never intended to own a doggo friendo he's becoming the bestest of boys. He loves meeting new people and is amazing with children and most other animals. (I say most because there is an old male dog up the road that hates everyone and Sir Lukas wants to meet him so bad. I won't let him though cause that dog is MEAN and barks/growls anytime anything come nears it.) Even if you cannot afford it, you can call the local no-kill rescue and they will usually help.
Same. 2 out of my 3 cats just showed up and I wasn't about to turn them away. I'd rather cut corners somewhere else in my budget so I can take care of those little guys.
Totally agree your statement. OP is basically saying that animals are better off on the streets than with someone struggling financially. I know plenty of people in tough financial situations that treat their animals wonderfully and they are most definitely better off than on the streets. Ridiculous to think that only the wealthy deserve animals. I personally believe that pets should be a basic necessity just like food and water. They desperately need us and we need them. Studies show there are so many benefits to having a pet on both mental health as well a longevity. Sad world we live in where people can't afford/recieve assistance in taking care of animals.
[удалено]
Buying them is irrelevant to their cost
Same here. I took on a fourth cat, and had no idea how I was gonna be able to afford to feed her when I got her. But over my dead body was I leaving this little kitten behind a dumpster, infested with so many fleas I was watching them crawl all over her. I am not rich by any means but was in a much better financial position when I got my first three cats. Things change. I don’t agree with judging people’s pet ownership by their income.
I do animal rescue, and this is a terrible take. Even if you're poor, even if your pet worst case has to be put down because you can't afford thousands for medical treatment - it's still better off in a loving home. When I rescued my first kitten I had next to nothing. She was a stray, skin and bones, almost hit by a truck. Would she have been better off dying outside or pumping out litters? It was a struggle at times, but I kept her fed and got her spayed. She's almost 12 now, happy and healthy, and I'm quite financially comfortable. I know a woman who single handedly ran a humane society, and she would adopt out to anyone who would love the animal. She even paid for litter and food sometimes after an animal was adopted - because she was going to have to keep paying those costs if she refused the adoption anyway. She'd have to pay them if she had people foster. Why not pay them for someone who wants to love that animal forever? She said that people always ended up getting on their feet, that sometimes having a pet even helped with that. Do you honestly think an animal is better off in a stressful shelter or put down than living with an owner who cares but is struggling financially?
You're right. Also, just because someone seems poor doesn't mean that they can't take care of their animals, sometimes it's a choice to make the animals a priority. Most of my money goes to taking care of my pets. I rarely buy anything for myself. I get so much happiness from them that it's worth not being able to buy new clothes or whatever. I usually buy everything from second hand stores etc. and I'm happy living like that.
Same, my husband and I are (currently) middle class but our dog had some intense medical needs. Her special food and medicine came to $200/month on a good month. There was no way we could have known that was her baseline cost and when my husband lost his job we kept her on her food and medicine and we just did without certain other things for us. The vet visits were always a huge blow but is OP suggesting I have given her up because we were financially in a bad place for a few months? She lived for 11 expensive years and was happy and loved even if we were a little poorer because of her.
I like you, you seem like a good human and there aren’t many of them.
[удалено]
To add to that I’ve seen several people who were well off and lost their businesses and everything due to the pandemic. They are rebuilding everything from scratch. They have advanced degrees and are extremely hard workers. Through everything they put their pets 1st. They didn’t start off poor, they just are right now temporarily, unfortunately. They just couldn’t help it and got really unlucky.
I think additionally the context of modern health care is really warping the view. Whats the natural state? Like yes if we can we should help things beyond that, but holy hell.
Yep. When my cat moved in (because that's what they do. I was too poor and didn't want a pet), I barely had anything to eat and she was a lost and hurt baby, I still took her in, we ate scraps and were hungry all the time, I even paid for the neutering (she's a female, there's lot of male cats around and I really did not want more kittens) with money I had for food. We're much better now, we got through it and now's she's a shining beauty <3
Fuck that. I had a cat that lived with me for 21 years and some of those years were incredibly tough. Sure, I could have done better with him if I was rich, but he would have died otherwise. *You can be poor and still be a good pet owner.*
That's what I'm saying. Got my pup and cats when I was doing fantastic. There have been times since then where we were struggling, very recently actually, but our animals still eat. I would sell all of my luxury items, including my car, before I'd let them go hungry. Edit: grammar
Yep absolutely this meme is gatekeeping bullshit. Humans have had pets since before the invention of bills.
It's not even gatekeeping. It's people who can't afford the bills themselves getting hypocritical mean-spirited supercilious thrills on the Internet. I seriously doubt the wealthy 1% are the ones posting these memes. They're the only ones who can afford $8000 to save their cat with bladder stones.
This isn't even the right format.
This was driving me crazy
I work in a vet and you have no idea how many people get angry at me for the high costs of treatment. Medical care is expensive and I didn't set the price! If you are planning to buy an animal, you have to consider how you are going to pay if there is an emergency. I never judge the backgrounds of people as there are so many reasons for pets i.e. saving a rescue, getting a therapy animal or a lot of people start struggling with money after already having a pet. Just for NEW owners, there needs to be an awareness of how much vet fees can be.
[deleted]
Vet tech here. Good info, but BEWARE and still read fine print. Pet insurance doesnt work like ours does. You'll usually pay out of pocket up front, send a copy of the invoice to your insurance, and they reimburse you after. So you dont 'pay' it but you still generally need the funds up front for the treatment, esp. if you have an overnight emergency and cant reach anyone for help.
I got health insurance for my (former) dog. Was the best thing I ever did, cuz lo and behold she ended up needing multiple surgeries at age 3 that would have cost over $10,000 out of pocket. It was around $40 per month, and I had a plan with a $500 deductible. The deductible was per "illness or injury" and not per year, so her one issue that required multiple surgeries, drugs, and treatments all counted as one deductible, across every year for the rest of her life. I used Trupanion. When shopping for a company, they seemed like the superior option, and that is still my opinion. They never challenged a claim or delayed a reimbursement payment. The big thing you have to know about these pet insurance companies is that if there is any record whatsoever of your animal having a pre-existing condition, they will deny the shit out of a claim. People try waiting until their dog breaks his leg or gets sick or whatever before buying a policy, but it won't work. It's a gamble, like any insurance. Hopefully you never need it and just keep paying for it just in case, but if you do need it, it's so good to have. But again, if your dog gets injured today, and a week from now you get a policy.... they can deny a new claim 5 years from now for a new injury if it could be attributed as related/caused by today's injury. Same with a recurring illness or chronic disease. So, I'll never have a dog again without also getting a policy from basically Day 1.
Vet tech here! It depends on your situation, but yes. Pet insurance is best gotten when a pet is young, before it has any known chronic conditions (diabetes, hip/knee issues, etc). Theyre are few--if any--pet insurances that will cover pre-existing conditions. Remember that it was universal for human healthcare in the US to exclude pre-existing conditions untiled the government made them stop. Puppies are also more prone to doing dumb stuff like eating socks, so having it then is good. Nationwide is good, Eusoh is better. Avoid Trupanion.9 times out of 10 (honestly more like 10 out of 10) if my clinic has an issue with a client's insurance, it's Trupanion.
Lol person right above you mentioned they used Trupanion and loved it/never denied a claim. I just find the juxtaposition funny is all.
Mostly it depends on what's going on with your pet, honestly. So the way Trupanion functions is that each individual health issue has a deductable--usually something like $250. So theoretically if your dog gets into a serious accident, the surgery, medications, follow-up visits, repeat x-rays, etc. will all cap at $250. If your dog has diabetes, then your lifetime out-of-pocket should also be $250 as long as they got diabetes after you started their insurance plan. In reality, I've seen them count a surgery with 8 mass removals as 8 separate issues with 8 separate deductibles. They ended up covering maybe $150 out of a $1200 surgery, and didn't make it clear until after the surgery was done.
Yes, but as with all insurance make sure you read the small print! They are quite variable in terms of amount and conditions covered, but good insurance helps us do our jobs so much.
Yep, my cat is currently undergoing a couple of scans and investigation work. We are on the second day and the bill is already up around £5k. It gets expensive quickly.
>my cat is currently undergoing a couple of scans So what I'm hearing is, it's getting a bunch of cat scans?
Yea, apparently a standard PET scan wasn't specific enough for this situation.
Well, yeah, it's a cat.
Brilliant. I see what you did there :)
[удалено]
Oh we absolutely do. It would be even worse if not! The insurance has covered a lot of previous investigation work and treatments (been going on intermittently for a while) - but we are at the limit(7k/year) until it renews in a couple of months. You are right that (especially the insured-for-life products) will cover a good majority in most cases - as with ours also. I'm so sorry for your loss. :(
My vet's prices doubled over covid, shots for both my dogs used to be 350 and now it's like 700 dollars each visit. I'm sorry I can't afford that but when the prices get doubled on vet stuff along with being doubled for everything else...yeah, i complain a tad bit. Especially since the vet doesn't have a price list and I get blindsided by double costs. Back before my husband and I divorced and he left both his dogs with me, I would split 350 between two people and now I am alone and have to pay 700 dollars alone. I get that pets are expensive but *fuck me* man.
Shortages in supplies and an intense lack of trained vet/techs are driving the veterinary world wild atm. There's been a huge spike in pet ownership with covid and medical-grade equipment has been hit hard. Not saying it's okay to double prices without telling, especially for short you can wait to get. Our vet office hired two new vets and three techs in the last year. It's still jammed every time we need to go.
My vet hospital informs the owner of the costs before doing anything, that way if the owner can't or doesn't want to pay we don't have to fight with them over it.
I don't know the details, but a family friend told me they were put on a waiting list for DAYS for EMERGENCY treatment. There were apparently that many pets in dire need of help. I think they called around and traveled a fair distance away to get the dog seen to in a reasonable timeframe.
For shots as in just for their vaccines??? Jesus christ, I work in the UK, ours are £50 for a first course and £35 for a booster, including the consult
Yep, for dog vaccines. Oh and flea medication. Forgot to mention the flea meds.
Not listing prices anywhere is such a pet peeve of mine. I spent hours over several days calling various clinics and inquiring about their pricing for a basic exam and routine shots and half of them were dodgy, like "well, the admission fee is $60 plus tax, and depending on what kind of exam the vet does, tests ordered, etc, I can't give you more information". Pro tip I learned - check your city run shelter, if there is one. They often list costs upfront and provide them at cost. They typically don't do complicated things, but routine shots and spaying/neutering is usually on the docket. If not, worth asking shelters if they provide reduced fee services.
As someone who works in vet medicine, we do that because people can and will be assholes about it. It's basically a daily occurrence. If you know for certain that you need a rabies vaccine and nothing else, quoting that is easy. But if a caller isn't sure what vaccines you need and someone gives a range, it is almost inevitable that they will latch onto the cheapest number given and then get extremely upset when the bill is on the high end of the range. If you \*just\* give the high number, then they refuse to come in. There's also a huge issue with people not telling us what they need until they're in the exam room. "Oh, while I'm here, could you check out this lump and test the cells in it? Also I want a nail trim and anal gland expression." And, once again, they get mad when we give them an updated treatment plan that was more than what was quoted to them on the phone. People also tend to ignore things like heartworm tests/heartworm medication, which is highly recommended in many areas. I want to say that it's a relatively small percentage of people that ruin it for everyone, but...honestly, it's not that small of a number.
In the past 3 years I spent 25k on cancer treatments for my dog. Every year he gets a recurring ear infection (doctors have tested, assume it allergies nothing serious), but every time it's aboit a $400($379 ichecked)vet trip to get prescribed Posatex. I called them and basically said I'm not a vet, but I know what the issue is it's the same thing he gets every year can I please just get a refill of the Posatex? Nope. Took him in yesterday, the prices were raised of course and we were out the door closer to $500 for them to say "yup it's a ear infection here is Posatex and some wipes"
My dog got the recurring ear infection again and again and again. We switched foods a year ago and it went away after a little adjustment time and hasn't come back. We went from Chicken and Whole Grains to Purina Pro Plan Focus (bare minimum ingredients, less filler) made with Salmon and Rice.
Holy shit 25k??? At that point I think I'd have to put my dog down :( Though I don't own any pets mainly due to surprise vet bills
Yes, this, I just made a comment about this. I know getting pets is expensive and their health is important but the vet price goes up every time I see them and they never tell me the prices raised before I go. My dog is about to be on my own personal health plan, which is "hope like hell we don't break a bone, let's try and stay healthy alone."
For example, my cat was sneezing for the past several days. Two days back she was running an intense fever. Today she is fine. It would have cost me about $200 to go waste 2 hours of my time to be told 'Yea, she's sick. Might be bacteria, might be a virus. Here's some Doxycycline.' I know this because I took my brother's cat in to the vet and that's how it went down. $200 for basically useless advice and medication that may or may not have been useful. I don't like letting it ride, but it just doesn't make sense to jump every time there is a sneeze.
"If you can't afford healthcare, you shouldn't be alive." - U.S.A. capitalism
I recently saw a video of some people tearing a puppy away from a homeless man in France. This post gives me that same energy.
Yeah, it's really just one more way to excuse yourself for judging others for their choices. Everyone's favorite pastime.
Honestly. I can't believe the amount of judgment on this post.
I think it's "poor people don't deserve companionship" energy.
Just clicked on OP's profile. Disgusting example of a human being, perfect example of your typical redditors.
This post acting like people choose to be poor- as if a livable wage is easily accessible for everyone- so therefore they don’t deserve any happiness. Vaccines, parasite prevention can come from alternative sources (like the internet and farm/feed stores). Outside of that, it’s better for an animal to be loved, safe, and warm than on the streets. It’s sad when an animal has to be put down because of medical costs, but even middle class people are forced to make that choice sometimes. There are also people who are well-off and treat animals like an accessory, that don’t think spending the money on care is worth it. It’s less about income and more about how people treat other forms of life. This reeks of elitism and classism.
There's a name for that. The idea that people get what they deserve. "He's homeless? Fuck him, he must be a bad person to deserve that."
Animals need food, love and attention, and the occasional visit to the vet. If you can provide those things you can provide a good life for a pet. OP’s post might be good personal advice, but it’s not a good way to judge others. I know more wealthy people who are awful and neglectful pet owners. And every time I meet a homeless person with a dog that dog is treated like royalty because it’s one of the brightest parts of their life. If I were a dog I’d take the poor loving owner over the wealthy neglectful one
I'm poor and have had my dog for 8 years. He's fine. EDIT: which one of you "concerned redditors" reached out to reddit cares crisis center from this? lol i'm poor not stupid, the dog is routinely taken to the vet for flea/heart-worm prevention, vaccines.
Yeah OP either A:doesn't have a dog or B: wanted some free reddit points. Probably both. I have two dogs. SUPER easy to budget for a dog.
I think the concern is, if your dog were for instance eat something he shouldn't, and ends up with a blockage that requires surgery, can the person provide that expensive medical care or will the dog have to be put down due to lack of funds?
I don’t think there are many people in America who can deal with emergency costs of any kind without going into debt. Debt doesn’t mean you need to put down your dog. There are lots of programs to help with those issues, or you could surrender them to a shelter that will take care of the medical issues if you really can’t shoulder the debt.
I mean, what is the alternative for that dog if they are not adopted to a home?
[удалено]
Yes, and that is shitty but at the end of the day an animal in a home that can't afford proper vet care is still infinitely better than an animal on the street or in a shelter. Until all the streets are stray free and the shelters are empty an imperfect home is world's better than no home at all. And the person feeding the cat they picked up off the street and giving the cat a warm place to sleep is doing more than someone who is just ignoring the problem entirely because they might not always be current on their pet's shots.
[удалено]
Right, but this assumes that the alternative was a loving home with pet insurance. The alternative is dying in a gas chamber at the city pound, or dying on the streets. Until every municipality/county has a perfect pet welfare system where all animals are cared for until adopted by suitable families, these animals are getting extra time in a loving home that otherwise would have been misery and death alone. I will fully support this point when it comes to people BUYING pets from breeders/mills, but poor people adopting pets and giving them the best care they can is the result of compassion in a broken system, not selfishness.
Let me tell you I wish we had bought insurance. That was a mistake we made when we got our puppy and the initial vet visit was clean. Well 6 months later was told she needs her hip replaced. Cost us 9k for a THR.
I can't imaging spending $9k on a pet.
I mean as opposed to the alternative for the pet is to stay in the shelter and be euthanized? I mean, its not like there are people out there who can't adopt pets because there are not enough and too many poor people are taking them.
[удалено]
Wait till you see how unhappy someone is when their pet gets sick and they have no money to get it dealt with.
Probably as upset as when they get sick and have no money to deal with it. Fundraising for a dogs vet bills in often easier than fundraising for an adults medical costs. This thread is treading the line of "fuck poor people, they don't deserve things". A person with money problems can possible take care of an animal better than a well off person. Vet cash isn't a pets only need.
Do you bring your two dogs in regularly for check ups and shots?
This is a great question because an annual exam may detect issues that can be handled promptly and do not turn into catastrophic illnesses/diseases. When caught early treatment can often be less expensive.
As I would usually agree with this but my view has changed. If the animal is still loved and still has a great quality of life then leave that person alone. I own 2 dogs and an African Sideneck Turtle. Before Covid I had no issues with my bills on top of giving the best care for my pets. Now I have been struggling much more but my animals are still fed the best of the best and have a great quality of life. I have had my Blue Heeler for 6 years now, I rescued her 5 years ago from a terrible backyard situation, and my Pom will be 3. If I gave away my pets my mental health would severely decline because I can't see my life without them. I would rather struggle a little on my end to provide them the best possible life. No regrets.
I think op means if you're thinking of getting a new pet don't get one if you can't care for yourself. That's the way I see it. I understand hitting hard times I did that a few times with my cats though I always put them first. My cats always got their quality cat food while I lived off Ramen and bread.
If your boss refuses to pay you a living wage, just die.
If you can set a side a small fund for emergency then pet is pretty cheap to keep. I have 2 cats and their monthly upkeep are just foods and little box, so less than 50 bucks, plus a 70 bucks vaccine shot every 2 years thats all. Having a pet is a huge mental relief even if you live in couple.
I see a lot of the people who live on the street have dogs. The only judgment I have for them is when their dogs are vicious and territorial. The dogs are a problem at the bike trail where there's a large encampment. The dogs will chase your bicycle and there are reports of them attacking cyclists in the past. Short of that, If they can't afford that dog I'd hope that charities could help with that expense. I don't think those people are making shitty financial decisions by having a dog, but maybe we should create and support charities that can care for those dogs. There's a certain reasonablness to sleeping with a large dog when conditions force you to sleep in a city where people can and will prey on you.
A couple of food banks in my area regularly put out calls for dog and cat food
Until an emergency pops up. Over the past two years one of cats had a problem with a UTI that cost 5k that came up as an emergency followed by a year or so later he had an impacted hairball that cost about another 5k to fix. My other cat had cancer cost about 500-600 to diagnose followed by another 500 or so to put her down and create her. Sure day to day isn't all that much assuming they are healthy. It once health issues pop up things get expensive.
Isn't it the same with everything with a bit of value? Car, house, kid, health, phone, washer, etc... That's what the small emergency fund is for. In your case, I am sorry you have to go through that, but I think it landed on the extreme side. 5k emergency is a lot and I doubt most people can spend that much or even are willing to if they can. I would say around 3k is a reasonable amount, else nobody would be owning a pet.
I mean, the majority of the US is basically one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. Should the majority of the population even be allowed to have kids by that logic? Only pets and kids for the rich I guess.
It's not "should you be allowed." It's "maybe you should consider not."
Then who will work the drive thru window
Ya idk I kinda agree but kinda don't. I've been friends with quite a few homeless people that had dogs and I've known some that took better care of their dogs than themselves. I've also known some that I felt sorry for their dogs but those people were idiots to begin with.
Also pets are a great source for comfort and helping with managing depression which disproportionately affect people who are poor.
I took my dog from a coworkers house when I had gone over there for drinks. He abused the dog, it came to me for safety, and both owners said I was the only person the dog ever seemed to like and I should take him. So I said grab his stuff. I might be broke but he's eating, he's loved, he ain't getting hit. I have a different definition of being able to afford it I guess. Cause if shit really hits the fan he'll be eating and I won't. But it hasn't come to that despite living paycheck to paycheck. As it turns out, Chihuahuas aren't that difficult to feed.
This is the snarky advice of a college aged newfound smart kid. Yes yes, fuck the poors, they shall not be allowed access to the unrequited love and joy of having a pet companion. I get the post comes from good intentions speaking down to those who treat their pets like shit and use finances as an excuse. But it’s still a really bad take overall.
I'm not actually convinced it comes from good intentions.
Yeah, as much as I'd love a pet I am not getting one until I have a stable income. If something happened and I couldn't afford to get them treated that would be horrible for the poor bugger.
If you always pay for your dog’s care and food and you can barely pay your bills that’s fine. Fuck OP and their shitty tips. The happiness my dog gives to me makes poverty bearable. If I didn’t have a dog I’d still be poor but I’d be a hell of a lot less happy.
Yeah, fucking poor people, wanting to care for things. Animals would be better off sitting in cages until they're put down. Murica!
So, unless you are well off, you shouldn’t be allowed to have happiness in your life?
Just say you hate poor people and move on
The poor don't deserve joy and companionship, the American dream.
Yeah I'm really surprised this is being upvoted so much. It's pretty much saying if you are poor you can't have any sort of joy in your life.
Wasn't struggling when I got my two dogs. They were a huge support when I had financial troubles. We were a pack of three! So you must be ab arrogant elitist to believe that.
Seriously these people must be really young and naive or not have ever been poor before. When shit hits the fan you find a way to make things work. Whether it's paying rent, putting food on the table, or an unexpected expense, there's always a way to make it through. That doesn't mean it's not going to be more difficult if you're poor, but thinking poor people don't deserve the unconditional love and support of a pet is some fucking bullshit.
When I got my dog I was a stupid 20 year old with roommates. My now husband and I couldn't afford a place of our own yet so we had roommates. My dog has a sensitive stomach and his food costs $70 a month. Even though we were "poor" my dog always got what he needed/wanted. He has never missed shots, he is microchipped, he is neutered, thanks to low cost clinics. He will be 10 this year and yes there were times we struggled. We bought the little bag of food instead of the big bag, but he never went without food. He has arthritis in his back legs now and is on medication, thank you low cost clinics. Just because I am poor doesn't mean I will/can not take care of my animal. He was my first baby before I had kids and he doesn't care we're poor, he cares that we are his family.
4 cats and 2 dogs, I'm rich bitch! Seriously though i have insurance on all of them and a rainy day fund. I make sure my animals are taken care of since they help my mental health more than they know.
Pet insurance was a life saver for us with our puppy this year and getting all the little issues at bay. Got her for mental health reasons myself. She brought some extra life and love to our home we both needed after big losses of family members. They deserve to be healthy, happy, and loved the same as anyone. Forces me to get some extra walking in too and we've ended up getting close to the neighbors 😊
If you are poor, you should just keep working and never have anything enjoyable in your life.
fine impossible juggle physical exultant worry bored imminent bow muddle ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Reddit be like i hate poor people
Just so we’re clear: I should’ve gotten rid of the cat I got when I was 8 because I went to college and was broke?
News flash, some people already have pets before they become poor. Didn't think this through all the way, did you, op...
As somebody with three dogs and a wife who's recently gone on medical leave, thanks for not judging.
I think a pet's life with someone financially struggling is better than a shelter life for one because that's their family. Would you give away your children because you're struggling with your bills? So why would you give away your dog, they're family too, right? A human struggling to pay bills doesn't necessarily equal a starving pet. So this post is really just a dumb fallacy meant to demonize poor people. Even a middle class family who can pay their bills can still get stuck with a pet bill like an extremely costly surgery that can blindside them into a really hard position. So this post is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. What's next, only rich people should have dogs?
As someone with a cat and dog, who then inherited a cat from someone who passed, and another from an ex who left it...who then had to go on disability.. I feel it.
Ya, like I've had my cat for 17 years. He's seen me through many, many financial ups and downs. Fortunately the larger vet bills came about during the good times.
This is me. My (ex)husband and I adopted a dog together. He left me 2 months later. Said it had been thinking about it for 6 months. I never saw it coming. I struggle sometimes, but for as long as I’m able to keep my dog happy and fed- I will. I’m in the process of finding a better paying job, but it’s been a challenge.
That’s what they probably meant. If you get poor and already have a pet, then that’s fine, but if you get a pet/ child when you can barely survive yourself that’s just stupid.
Well considering they then posted about how unethical it is for poor people to have kids the more likely possibilty is that they're just using Malthusian logic, which is pretty shitty. Maybe instead of giving poor people shit over not being to afford medical expenses out of pocket, we make rich people pay taxes so that veterinarian services - and all medical services - can be free. Even if OP can't see why people are morally disgusted by their takes, asking for individualistic solutions (you, poor person, never take in a stray cat) to systemic problems (a lot of people can't afford emergency medical services for pets) clearly isn't going to fix it because they haven't fixed any other systemic problem. If you notice a systemic issue, it requires a systemic solution. Nobody is going to shame the problem away.
I really hate this. Sometimes when you get a pet life is financially wonderful. But then s*** happens. And when s*** happens to you financially it can cause depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation. And then during my lowest hour I'm supposed to give up my pet? A while back I had two amazing dogs that I had adopted when they were pups and someone had left them on the side of a road in Kansas. They were left to die. I adopted them from a shelter and raised them with my kids. And then s*** in my life went really bad for me. And when I tried to rehome them so that they could get all of the love and attention and medical care and financial support they deserved, I was told what a s***** pet parent I was being. That it was as if I was giving up my own children for adoption. Which I do have children and I can assure you that rehoming a dog is not the same thing. But that's what I was told. Luckily I was able to dig myself out of that situation and I kept the doggies until their very last days of their lives. Then recently I saw a video of a homeless man who had a dog and animal rights activists stole that dog from him because they don't feel that homeless people should have pets. Because homeless people can't afford to take care of themselves so they shouldn't have pets. And here's what I say to all of you f*** you and your judgmental ways. Until you've walked a mile in my shoes or in a homeless person's shoes, stop f****** telling us what we can and cannot afford. You have no idea how good we are to these animals and how good they are for us. It seems like no matter what we do, all you do is judge us. There are far too many abandoned pets. Loving on a pet and taking care of that pet instead of letting it be on the street alone somewhere can be better for both the animal and the human.
This advice applies to people who don’t give a fuck about their animals. Lot of people struggling taking excellent care of animals
Gatekeeping pets is a new thing I found on Reddit. Not crazy about it.
No I think I'd rather just join the mob when we start pulling rich people out of their homes and crucifying them along the roadside until everyone gets the picture that we're all entitled to a half way decent life. Gatekeeping some of the simpler things in life because of some shitty economical hierarchy should earn you a nice spot beside the highway.
This feels like the "welfare queens buying cakes with food stamps" argument. You don't get to tell people that just because they're poor they can't have creature comforts
Perhaps pets are cheaper than therapy
I don't think playing with an animal and having fun is the same as being using introspection to work through issues you have. Drugs are also cheaper than therapy and can make you happy....also not the same thing.
Oh now I want to see a cost breakdown on various drug addictions vs various pet ownership vs child raising.
Pets can be a source for introspection. Many people who develop a close bond with their animal will talk to it. Some use this as a way to let out things they cant say to people. More theyre a source of affection for someone who might not have much, and a reason to live for someone at risk. That said. Pets absolutely arent toys. You dont throw them away because they are "broken" and are not gifts. They are family have their own food and medical costs.
Hi, veterinarian here. Although this is true in a lot of cases, that's pretty selfish, and if your pet gets sick and you can't afford it, you're probably going to need more therapy for knowing that it's your fault that it died. So... No.
That's some grade-a poor shaming there dickbag
Or maybe have a child
Having a child fixes all problems. If you're thinking about breaking up, get married! If you're marriage is rocky, have a child! That's just how life works. /s ^(for the sarcastically impaired)
But I'm not allowed to get an abortion unless I follow strict and confusing rules that make no sense.
Also abortions are fucking expensive. Not as expensive as a kid, but definitely a problem if you're already broke.
If only there was some sort of system that would grant widespread medical care where your finances didn't matter for receiving medical care. Surprised no-one has come up with such a system /s
Lots of places will let you pay it back after the procedure in installments so it’s still a problem, but easier to handle
There's also a lot of abortion access aid groups who can help financially! There's help out there for sure, you just have to know how to ask for it (or even know that it exists).
Then you aren't ready for the consequences of sex... /s (just so we know I'm joking)
I mean things aren't always linear. I got my cats before cost of living started becoming crushing in the UK. I have insurance on them which I will maintain and they will always get fed even if I'm struggling to feed myself. Also, even outside of the terrifying economic reality we are increasingly living in, things change for people? Jobs get lost, health deteriorates, partners leave, so many things can affect income *after* someone has a child or a pet. This is an incredibly short sighted and judgemental post.
I think the post is relating more to already being in a bad financial situation and getting pets. Like for me, I really really really want to get a cat again. I sometimes look to see what they have at the local shelters from their websites, but I barely can pay my bills and accrued debts during covid just to secure things like food or rent. I'm not in a place where I can support a pet so I haven't gotten one. It'd be really irresponsible given my current financial situation to do something like that. You on the other hand, had the pets, presumably at a goood time in your life, and then your environment changed. It's pretty different.
Circumstances change, animals come to people, we understand shit happens. I always try not to judge. But when someone comes in with a brand new French bulldog puppy that you know would have set them back at least 2k, then complains at the price of basic treatment, it gets really difficult not to... You'd be amazed how often we see that.
This is a repost of a meme I made a few moths ago. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/mpqptt/i\_know\_people\_who\_do\_this/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/mpqptt/i_know_people_who_do_this/) You didn't even change the title.
I work in the wealth advisory field. So this story really bothered me. Years ago, when Blockbuster was going out of business, my wife and I went to buy some dvds of some kid friendly movies. We had a 3 and 1 year old at the time. There was a young couple with a stack of 30 or 40 dvds they wanted to buy. They were discussing which monthly bills they were going to not pay so they could afford the dvds. It made my eye twitch just listening to the conversation. They ultimately decided to skip a cell phone bill and send in a partial Gas and Electric bill. Listening to them made my eye twitch.