Today in the office one of my colleagues came over to me and showed me a picture of the cutest puppy I have ever seen. “See this, we are getting this puppy for the kids, isn’t she so cute” It was a cavoodle or something along those lines and if dogs were supermodels this would be the Gigi Hadid of puppies. I asked her how much one of those costs and she said about 5K. I knew that people paid a premium for cuteness but I didn’t realise it was that much!
It got me thinking about the cost of having a pet in Australia and how so many people are willing to pay for the cuteness factor. Let’s explore the cost of dog ownership and why you should consider pet adoption rather than buying from a breeder.
If you go down the purebred designer pup from a licensed breeder we are talking thousands of dollars versus if you adopt from RSPCA or a pet rescue it might be around $500 by the end of the process. Unless you adopt the pet, the initial outlay for an expensive breed does not even usually cover the desexing, microchip, and vaccinations.
When it comes to expensive dog breeds it would be remiss not to mention the dodgy backyard breeders who are cashing in big. Puppy mills or puppy farms are a major problem in Australia. The dogs in these types of operations can be forced to live in confined spaces, have inadequate veterinary care & health issues due to the poor conditions they are bred in. These owners are often forcing the dogs to churn out litter after litter. Once the dogs have gotten too old for any more litters, they get rid of them. It is extremely sad but you don’t have to look very hard to find backyard breeders who are selling desirable dog breeds for a cheaper price than the registered breeders.
Where money is involved inevitably there will always be people who will do the wrong thing and unfortunately, the animals are the ones who suffer.
The ongoing expenses of pet ownership are similar to owning (oh I mean having) a small child. Food, vet check-ups, grooming, presents, daycare, pet resorts, the list goes on. The Australian market for pet products and accessories is now worth an estimated 1.2 Billion dollars each year. More than 600 million gets spent on dogs and another 250 million on cats. As for the Vet bills, an estimated 2.6 Billion dollars is being spent on the health of pets. It is clear that Aussies really do love their furry family members. The boarding kennel/pet resort costs for your furry friend when you need to go on a non-pet-friendly holiday can be just as expensive as the holiday itself.
Pet insurance is designed to help cover an unexpected vet bill when your pet is sick or injured. From looking online it seems the average cost of basic pet insurance sits at around $1000 per year. Pet insurance can be stand-alone but also something you might be able to roll into your house and contents. Whilst pet insurance is slightly cheaper than the average comprehensive car cover, it can still get pretty expensive. As with most insurance in life, you really need to read the fine print when it comes to pets. Pet insurance can have a lot of exclusions depending on the level of cover you pay for so it is important to choose wisely when deciding if it is worth it.
So why are people willing to spend thousands on their furry friend when it comes to the cuteness factor when there are so many dogs in need of adoption? Does a cute dog provide you with more love and loyalty than an adopted dog, who is not quite as easy on the eyes? I think not. People are very quick to justify their choice to buy a designer dog as opposed to adopting one. The justification usually hinges on the perceived behavioural issues of adopted dogs and wanting the temperament of a particular breed. These are valid points, of course, some dogs are known aggressors, some are work dogs & some are quite happy to lay around all day sleeping. Depending on where you live and your lifestyle would certainly need to be taken into consideration when bringing a pet into your family. Honestly though even with all these considerations, please consider adoption as the first point of call. You might be able to save a dog’s life and get unconditional love and loyalty without spending thousands.
The reality is though when it comes to pets, it is one thing in life that is just not about the money. Just like having kids, you don’t have them for the financial benefits. There are so many reasons why pets are an amazing addition to your life and worth every cent we spend on them. No price can be put on the joy, love and happiness that a dog or any other pet can bring to your life.
