Congratulations if you are ready to add a new member to your family by taking care of a pet!
Whether it’s a dog or a cat, having that feline or canine companionship will definitely enrich your life. This is especially true if you have kids, to whom you can share the responsibility of taking care of a living, breathing animal. Let’s say that you are planning to have a dog as a pet. You basically have two options. First, you can buy a dog from a breeder or a specialty pet shop. Second, you can adopt a dog from a shelter. Read on to find out what the pros and cons of each option are, as well as the costs involved.
Buying a Pet
Pros
- Your first option for pet ownership is to buy a cat or a dog from a pet store.
- You can check out which establishments in your area specialize in selling animals, or you can get referrals for local breeders where you can get a cat or a dog.
- You’ll build resistance from bacteria and allergies.
Today, there’s almost this obsession by homeowners about keeping the house clean and 101% bacteria-free, so they purchase humidifiers, household cleaners, anti-bacterial sprays and similar products. Although there’s absolutely nothing wrong with maintaining the cleanliness of your house, your body cannot build immunity against germs if you don’t get exposed to them more frequently. When you have a dog or a cat, more bacteria will enter your home, and this is a good thing because your body’s immunity against germs will actually be given a boost.
- You will be a lot happier.
If you love animals, there’s no better reason than that to buy a pet. Caring for your canine or feline friend will boost your happiness. Dog owners, in particular, are less likely to suffer from depression as compared to non-pet owners. The interaction, love, and loyalty that you will receive from your pet will give you happiness like no other.
- You can get more exercise and enjoy better health.
When you have a pet dog, you are required to take it out for walks so you will get some much-needed exercise as well. The simple activity of walking the dog helps level your heart rate and stabilize your blood pressure. You will get a healthy dose of vitamin D from the sun as well!
- Your security at home will increase.
Big, scary dogs or small, noisy dogs are bound to scare would-be intruders in your home. Small dogs and cats are also known to alert their owners of approaching dangers like gas leaks or fires, due to their heightened sense of smell.
- Your kids can learn the value of patience and be caring for others.
If you have a pet dog in the family, it’s primarily your kids who will benefit. Being fully or at least partly responsible for caring for a dog will teach them just that: how to be responsible for caring for others.
Cons
There are plenty of advantages in buying a dog, there are a few downsides as well. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that pets rely entirely on the care of humans. Pets need to be fed, groomed and cared for by veterinarians when they are sick. If you have an outdoor pet, it is prone to acquiring infections, minor wounds or pest infestations. You also need to spend time in making your pets feel that you care for them.
Costs Involved
Now that you already know about the pros and cons of buying a pet, what are the costs involved?
Take a look at the following figures:
- Buying a pet from a store can set you back anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or more, depending on the breed of dog or cat that you would like to have.
- To get the best value for your money when buying a pet from a store, go for a mixed breed. There’s a principle called ‘hybrid vigor’ which indicates that a dog or a cat with a mixed breed is more likely to live longer and require lesser maintenance costs as compared to a purebred animal. Purebred dogs, in particular, are prone to developing heart problems, hip dysplasia, and similar health conditions.
- Aside from the initial cost of buying a dog or cat from a pet store, you would also have to shoulder the additional costs of food, veterinary visits, grooming sessions, etc.
Adopt a Pet
Your second option is to adopt a pet from a shelter or an animal rescue center. Did you know that there are 2.7 to 3.7 million dogs and cats who are currently looking for a home? Instead of buying a pet from a store, you can simply visit your nearest animal shelter or rescue center and adopt a pet from there.
Pros
There are many advantages to adopting a pet, including the following:
- With millions of cats and dogs in need of a home, you will be saving the life of one – or two animals – if you will adopt instead of buy.
- It usually costs less to adopt a pet than buy one from a store.
- You can do your share in putting an end to the unscrupulous business practices of puppy mills which are breeding facilities who quickly churn out one cute dog or cat after another.
- You will know exactly what you are getting when adopting a dog or a cat. You can ask the staff if the owner surrendered a dog due to a move, or if it’s a stray. PetFinder is a site that you can use to check out the local animal shelters in your area. If there’s a particular breed that you like, you can even ask them to e-mail you when one is already available.
Cons
There are also a few downsides to adopting a pet. For one, you would have no idea about the kind of puppyhood that the animal had. If it was mistreated, retraining the dog could be needed. The good news is that most kennels evaluate incoming animals for behavioral and health issues, so they would have a record of exactly what you will be getting.
Costs Involved
According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, about 65% of pet owners in the US got their canine or feline friends for free, or at a very low cost. Out of this figure, about 39% are surrendered to shelters if they are acquired from friends. If you think that adopting a pet is a much better option for you, here is a breakdown of the costs that you would have to shoulder:
- The cost of adopting a pet ranges from $50 to $200, depending on whether it will come from a city shelter or a rescue group.
- It is possible for you to simply ask a friend, a neighbor or a co-worker for a free pet. However, you would still have to shoulder the following costs:
– Distemper vaccination = $20 to $40
– Flea/tick treatment = $50 to $200
– Heartworm test = $15 to $35
– Microchipping = $50
– Rabies vaccination = $15 to $25
– Spraying/neutering = $150 to $300
These costs do not yet include the money that you would have to spend for food, grooming and regular visits to the vet to ensure the health of your adopted pet.
Researching for the costs of adopting versus buying a pet will help you come up with an informed decision as to which one is better. No matter which option you end up choosing, what’s important is to take full responsibility for the animal that you will be caring for, and consider it to be part of a loving, caring family.
Pin it for later:
