Know the costs before getting a pet

My sister has four kids, one of whom is married. I have five kids, two of whom are on their own, plus four dogs and a cat.
My sister never goes to work with pet hair on her clothes. Her kids never have to scrub at an accident. They don't have to lug 40-lb. bags of dog food up a flight of stairs every couple of weeks. Her bathroom is never soaked from a 90-lb. dog shaking himself dry.
I feel so sorry for her.
Three of our dogs are rescue dogs. One of the dogs and the cat belong to my ex. I'm taking care of them until he can.
I hit Homer as a puppy when I was driving home on a dark night. He's now a 90-lb. lovable hunk of mutt who can wrestle my youngest to a standstill. Killer, a rat terrier, and Bowser, a fox terrier, were going to be taken to the pound by a co-worker who couldn't take care of them any more.
My kids are great with animals. Although one of the symptoms of ADHD is cruelty to animals, Hyper Boy is very loving and caring with them. In fact, when Homer is afraid to climb on my bed, because Libby, the 4-lb. queen of attitude, is growling at him, my son patiently coaxes him to jump up and curl up where it's safe.
The dogs have even attached themselves to certain people. I belong to Homer and Libby, and the two are constantly quarreling over my attention. Bowser is the 16-year-old's dog, probably because they're both laid back and friendly. Killer vacillates between the youngest two, mostly because he's too lazy to go downstairs to sleep with whoever has the basement bedroom.
And, after a surprise $240 electric bill caused me to turn my thermostat way down, I've truly learned the value of having a cuddly dog curled next to me. Libby crawls under the blankets and sleeps behind my knees. Killer goes under the blankets at my feet. And Homer curls up against my back. Since dogs have a higher body temperature than humans, it's like having three hot water bottles next to me. Now I know what a three-dog night is like.
Having animals has meant some sacrifices, like making sure someone's always there to care for them and paying for their food (four dogs eat a LOT). They've also chewed up two couches, two chairs and a stool. And I'm always stubbing my toes on the large rocks Homer brings in to play with. But I believe that they've helped make my kids caring and responsible.
The kids wash, feed and patch up the dogs. They train them. They even clean up after them although I usually have to remind them. When it's warm, we go to a local park and play "Keep Away".
Costs of Pet Ownership
But owning a pet is not all sunshine and sweetness. There are costs and dangers to owning a pet.
Families that adopt pets, whether they purchase them, find them or get them from a shelter, need to consider a number of factors.
1. Cost of food
2. Cost of health care (Killer was seriously injured last year, and it took over $100 [with my vet giving me a heck of a deal] and three vet visits to ensure he'd live.)
3. Cost of licensing
4. Potential cost of damage to property
5. Cost in time and lost opportunities
6. Potential danger
Some of these costs are explained in an Investopedia article by Jim McWhinney.
Food cost can range from a couple of dollars a week to $25 for a large dog on a special diet. For a while, my mother was feeding her picky little dog a special diet that included $3 a can food.
Cost of health care includes annual shots, flea treatments and heartworm treatments. I would also include other necessities, such as doggie shampoo, bedding, leashes and collars, brushes, nail trimmers, chew toys and dog toothpaste (dogs that eat soft food usually need to have their teeth brushed).
Health care also includes getting your pet fixed, which can range from $25 at a local humane society to $100.
If your county offers pet licenses, get one. It's invaluable if your dog gets lost.
I would also recommend getting your animal chipped or GPSed.
The GPS device hooks to the pet's collar. However, it costs close to $400 just for the device, not to mention the GPS service.
Putting a microchip under your pet's skin is cheaper, from $15 to $60. That price includes registration of the microchip number.
Another cost that potential pet owners often don't consider is damage to property. I don't care if you're the best doggie parent in the world, your dog is going to damage something. It's going to make a mess on the floor, it's going to chew your shoes, it's going to shed, and/or it's going to track in mud. If you can't handle it, you shouldn't own a pet (and you may want to think again about having kids, because they're much messier).
Although kids take a lot of time, most parents are somewhat prepared for those duties. Some people are surprised by how much time having pets takes. When Homer was a puppy, I had to wake up every three to four hours to let him out. Now that he's an adult, he can go from midnight to 6 a.m. Then, there's the time we take to make sure the dogs and cat have food and water. We give the dogs a bath every couple of weeks.
Dogs need exercise every day. We load three of the dogs (Bowser slips his leash) into the van when it's warm and take them to a nearby park. Since it's mostly deserted in the winter, we put them in a fenced-in baseball field and let them run and chase balls. It's a great way for us to get some exercise, too.
In addition, we have to make sure the trash is in sealed containers and clean it up if the dogs get into it. We have to clean up their messes if they vomit, urinate or defecate, which one of them does almost every day.
If we're going to be gone for a weekend, I have to pay the neighbor to come over, feed them and let them out. He's cheap, but the service I contacted was going to charge me $20 each time she came over.
And I don't like to leave the animals for more than a few days. This means that someone stays with the dogs or we take a couple with us.
If you rent, some building owners may refuse to rent to someone who has pets or charge a pet deposit. If you own your home, doors, screens and flooring will always take a beating.
Always remember that a child under 10 should never be left alone with an animal. No matter how friendly a dog, it will bite given the proper circumstances. And it's not fair to punish an animal for doing something that's within its nature.
When my now-22-year-old was just a year old, his father didn't watch him around a friendly pet at a family member's house. My son was just trying to be friendly, but he cornered the dog, the dog bit him in the face, and my son is scarred for life.
Even now, I see my kids doing stupid things around the dogs. They'll tease the dogs or blow in their ears and the dogs will snap. The kids have even been bitten, not because the dogs are violent, but because the kids were being stupid.
Although we have three to four dogs, I wouldn't recommend that any family have more than one pet of any species. It's just not fair to the animals. Just like kids, they get jealous.
For example, Homer and Bowser fight over attention and for dominance. Since Homer's so much bigger than Bowser, Bowser always gets hurt.
We took in Killer and Bowser, because they would have ended up dead at our local animal shelter, which has a phenomenally high kill rate. However, I'm trying to find a good home for Bowser, because he's the more adoptable animal.
Think ahead before you bring an animal into your home. Once they are there, they are your responsibility.