iam a senior,would like a small dog for pet .cant afford to buy but have time to care for it. it would have a loving home
2006-08-08 03:53:49 · 7 answers · asked by jackie k 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
dont want a puppy hopefully 2 years or more
2006-08-08 03:57:14 · update #1
Your local animal shelter, ads in the newspaper or a purebred rescue group is the best place to get an older dog for less money.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm
Remember, if you can't afford to buy it, perhaps you can't afford to maintain a dog. Even free dogs cost money to take care of. If the dog isn't properly trained, it can chew up your house and your stuff. If it's not housebroken, it can ruin your floors and your furniture. How "free" is a dog that does $1000 in damage to your house? Many "free" dogs turn out to be sick - how "free" is a dog that costs you $800 at the vet because he has Parvo or distemper or heartworm? All dogs require a lot of time, energy and money to take care of properly. A crate, books and supplies can cost up to $300. Puppy shots are $200, then $100 a year for boosters. Annual Heartworm test and preventative medication $100. Professional trainer $600 and up. Going on vacation? Boarding kennel $40/day. Spaying? $250. Quality dog food, $20-$50 a month.
Dogs are great companions, but they need to be exercised in all weather conditions - including rain, snow and ice. Perhaps a cat, rabbit, guinea pig or small bird would be a better choice for you.
p.s. From your other questions and your less-than-perfect punctuation, I suspect that you're not a senior - unless you meant senior in high school! And if you already have a quaker parrot, do you really need another pet?
2006-08-08 07:04:51 · answer #1 · answered by Danger, Will Robinson! 7 · 9⤊ 3⤋
Please consider this carefully. If you can't afford to purchase a dog, what will you do if it becomes sick or injured? Vet bills can easily run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And even if the dog is healthy, dogs are more expensive than you may think. On another thread here, one person reported spending over $900 on her dog in the first year, just on routine maintenance, food and vet care, not including the price of the dog. And if you get a dog that requires grooming you are looking at spending $30-50 every two or three months for that.
The purchase price of a dog is really the smallest part of what you will spend on it.
2006-08-08 13:15:53 · answer #2 · answered by DaBasset - BYBs kill dogs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have to agree with the others -- check your local shelters or go to http://www.petfinder.com -- you can do a search for dogs in your area, and even specify the size and age you're looking for. There is usually an adoption fee, but it should be relatively small (under $100) for a dog who is already spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations.
Good luck!
2006-08-08 11:32:14 · answer #3 · answered by Loki Wolfchild 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check your local shelters for pets needing foster homes till they get their permanant homes. Rescues always need fosters and they will provide everything for the pet until it gets its home. Then you can take a couple of weeks off and foster another.
2006-08-08 11:02:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you going to be able to provide a proper diet, exercise and veterinary care for it? If you can't answer yes, a different, smaller pet might be a better idea.
2006-08-08 11:01:05 · answer #5 · answered by Mary F 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Purina has a program that offers free or reduced-fee adoptions for senior citizens at hundreds of shelters.
www.petsforpeople.com
2006-08-08 13:08:42 · answer #6 · answered by melissa k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try your local animal shelter they would love to see you, if they don't have one you like go back every couple of days til you find one you do ...enjoy
2006-08-08 11:01:50 · answer #7 · answered by bill j 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋