Why you can't afford a dog

By Donna Freedman

How much is that doggy in the window?

At least $8,000 over his lifetime -- and that's just for basic expenses. Fido costs a lot more if he gets sick, chews up your work boots or ruins the rug. Cats are even pricier: It costs about $10,415 to be ignored until you run a can opener.

In short, if you can't find at least an extra $800 to $1,000 in your budget every year -- the average cost of a dog or cat -- don't get a pet. If you get laid off, start looking for foster care for your pets until times are better -- and if the job market is particularly bleak (think "unemployed in Michigan"), you may have to give them away outright.

I can already hear pet owners screaming. One reader posted this on the Smart Spending message board: "I would do anything and give up anything I have and I still wouldn't give up my two dogs and cat. I would go without so they could get their food/care, I would give up my house, I would beg if I need to."

That's thinking with your heart, not your head. If you gave up all your assets, how could you care for these creatures?

Besides, many people wouldn't have to give up their homes; they'd just put the cost of vet bills or pet food on a credit card and sink slowly into debt. But, by gum, they'd have ol' Shep right next to them when they opened the latest collection notices.

Look, I love animals. I've owned animals. But people with heavy debt loads and/or job uncertainty should not be pet shopping. And pet owners who've fallen on hard times should not max out their credit cards or risk homelessness just so Fido gets his kibble or Fluffy gets her flea dip.

'No different than deciding to have a child'

I am not heartless. I know from personal experience how a pet can grab hold of your heart. But critters are luxuries in even the best of times. A lousy economy is no time to take on or continue a financial drain if your budget is tottering.

Maybe you can staunch the financial hemorrhage by giving up other luxuries: cable TV, your cell phone, high-speed Internet, dinners out. In addition, there are ways to reduce ownership costs. Even so, the price of litter, food and replacing the things that pets ruin does insidious damage to the bottom line. Spending every dime you earn means you can never get ahead.

And, oh, the unexpected vet bills. What if your dog eats a corncob or a safety razor? Suppose your cat comes home ripped from stem to stern by a raccoon? (All three are true-life examples.) If you're really attached to the animal, you're likely to drive to the nearest veterinary clinic, hang the expense.

Case in point: A Smart Spending message board reader posting as "Manya.P" was laid off four months ago. She doesn't have much of an emergency fund. Yet she found herself shelling out almost $700 to treat her 6-year-old cat's ear infection.

"I put it on a credit card because I don't want to use up my available cash," Manya.P says. It's not the first big vet bill she's seen. When her dog was attacked by a neighbor's pooch, the neighbor paid only $300 of the $1,200 tab before skipping town.

"I am not taking in any more pets," the reader concludes. But until the ones she has die -- and that can cost, too -- she'll keep paying unexpected bills.

Weirdly, tough economic times make some people more likely to get pets. According to Marie Wheatley of the American Humane Association, the story goes like this: Your job's in jeopardy, and you've had to cut way back on fun. Wouldn't a puppy or kitten be nice?

Really bad idea. Getting a pet if you're living paycheck to paycheck "would be no different than deciding to have a child" that you can't really afford, says Wheatley, the association's president and CEO.

Help is hard to find

Well, there is at least one difference: It's a lot easier to find help for a hungry kid than for a hungry Dalmatian. Babies are eligible for WIC, food stamps and other types of emergency aid. Pet owners must pay as they go, which may mean doing without things they need -- or going into debt -- to buy cat food or heartworm medication.

What if you have no credit or your cards are maxed out? What if you've cut your budget to the bone but still have trouble making ends meet?

Some short-term help may be available. Regional rescue groups and organizations like No Paws Left Behind have limited funds to help pet owners whose "backs are up against the wall," says Cheryl Lang, the organization's founder.

But they can't help everyone. That's when the really tough decision comes in: finding a new home for your pet, either temporarily or permanently. That could mean:

• Fostering by friends or family.

• Contacting a breed-specific rescue group (if applicable).

• Contacting a general animal rescue group or seeking a no-kill shelter. (Petfinder is a good source for both.)

Continued: Who's really suffering?

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