How much does a dog from a dog shelter/pound cost?

Question

I want to get a dog, but I need to write a persuasive essay first. I need to persuade my mother to get it. I don't really know what dog I want, all I know is that I would like to save a dog from being put down in a dog shelter or pound. I also need help on how much it would cost to go to checkups with a vet. everyone month, how much would food cost, among other things. Please can anyone help?

Answer 1

my dog cost $40. at a shelter in florida.
cost of food depends on how much it eats.
dog food roughly costs about one dollar/pound. roughly.
vet bills for about the first year is gonna run around $200-250.
then supplies like leash, bowls, toys if you are thrifty
don't have to cost more than $30


my dog was the best thing to ever had happen to me.
i still say to this day it was the best $40 i ever spent.

Answer 2

Probably not. Here's why... It takes time to process an adoption application effectively and thoroughly. If you are going to be living in an apartment, for example, they need to know that your landlord allows pets. Personal references also need to be checked, as well as a vet reference, if you've owned a pet before. A criminal background check might also be done, just to make sure you have no history of animal abuse or neglect. And, let us not forget a home visit - this is to make sure animal hoarders and backyard breeders, etc are not adopting the dogs. So, as you can see, all of this takes time and it's all in the best interest of the dog. You see, rehoming is extremely stressful to the dog...you have no idea! And, it is a fact that the more times an animal is rehomed, the less adoptable it is, due to all of the behavioral problems that arise from the stress. Thus, the ultimate goal for the shelter is to make sure the dog won't be returning, and will live happily ever after with you. My advice to you is to go to a shelter near your new home, AFTER you've moved in and settled down. Every shelter is different, but like I said above, you probably won't be able to bring home puppy in one day. It might not even be one week, depending on how short-handed the shelter is. It's nothing personal, and if you really want a dog that badly, it shouldn't be a problem anyway. Cost will probably vary between shelters, with city shelters usually being the cheapest. But expect to spend anywhere from $50-$500. At any rate, I commend you for adopting a dog. Sadly, there really aren't enough people like you in this world! Good luck!

Answer 3

Hello. I rescued a dog about 3 months ago. I live in South Texas and my shelter's fees were between $180 and $190 including spay/neuter and the first check up and set of vaccines and deworming. It is expensive, but if you really want to save an animal, these pound pups will be greatful forever. Food costs anywhere between 8 and 30 dlls a bag. Depending on the brand and size you get. I buy Purina ONE lamb and rice formula. A 30 pund bag runs about 25 dlls. and it lasts a bit over a month for 3 dogs. Remember, dogs will eat all the food you offer, so follow the recommended amount on the bag.
I recommend researching what kind of dog will be a good match for your housing arrangement. I believe www.websiteforpets.com is the site where they can match you up with the type of breed that would be best for you. www.petfinder.com is also a good resource site.
Good luck!

Answer 4

I adopted my German Shepherd from the local animal shelter. It cost me $75 to adopt her. The adoption fee usually includes the dog license (will have to be renewed every year-usually cost $25 a year), spaying and neutering (if not done at the pound will cost around $75 to have done), and rabies vaccination (has to be repeated yearly - usually costs $10 a year).

You will have to keep your dog on heartworm preventative (a once a month pill - usually costs $40 for a six month supply) and flea preventative (a spray or a gel that goes between the shoulderblades once a month - will cost between $10 and $40)

Then there's the cost of food. A cheap, store brand dog food (Dog Chow, Purina, Old Roy) will cost around $10-20 a month depending on the size of your dog. A more premium brand (healthier for your dog and results in smaller poops) will cost $20-40 a month depending on your dog)

You also have to pay for leashes, collars, tags, bowls, toys, treats, bones, a bed, etc. These expenses are highly variable. You can spend as little as $20 or as much as $100-200 a year.

Then there's the annual vet visit just to make sure your dog is healthy. This usually will cost under $60. You also have to keep in mind the unexpected emergency vet visit. One of my dogs accidentely swallowed a nut which caused a bowel obstruction and cost me $1000 to get the surgery to fix it. My current dog had mange and a skin allergy when I adopted her, and I spend $400-500 at the vet to figure out what was wrong and get it fixed.

As for what kind of dog you want...do you want a small, medium, or large dog? A smaller dog is good for small apartments, but they tend to be more difficult to housebreak and train. A larger dog can be hard to walk on a leash if not trained, and will require more space (a large apartment or a house). You don't need to have a yard as long as you are willing to walk your dog 3-4x a day. You might not be able to get a purebred dog at the shelter, but there are lots of great mixed breed dogs that reallly need homes! Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? A puppy will have less behavioral problems that might need fixing, but you will have to housebreak and train the puppy from scratch. Puppies tend to chew everything in sight, and have lots of energy. They can be trained, it just takes a lot of patience. An adult dog may have behavioral issues, but a decent animal shelter will have evaluated the dogs for any issues. They are usually housetrained, and are beyond the chewing and excitable stages of puppyhood. Even if they are not housetrained, it doesn't take long to train an adult dog. And you know exactly how big they will be when they grow up! There are lots of good books at your local library on responsible dog ownership that you might want to read.
Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Adopting a dog costs anywhere from $75 - $200. THe vet costs depend on how old your dog is upon adoption. Young puppies will require additional shots which can sometimes be done at the adoption clinic for a reduced fee (ours were $20 for each booster). Older dogs have their shots and only require their yearly vet fees - for that ask your local vet.

I go through about one large bag of dog food a month so think 20 bux a month for food. Once you adopt, you need to get a bunch of toys so they won't get bored and become destructive. Taht can be anywhere from $30-40.
Leash and harness (better to walk a young puppy on a harness as they pull on it and a leash can harm their throat) another $30. If you are getting tight, you could use an old set of bowls (not glass) for food and water bowls.

If you want to save a dog's life think about volunteering in a shelter as well. Volunteering to help clean cages, answer phones or walk the dogs helps the resident pets get adopted out,. Plus it's fun :)

Answer 6

It depends on what kind of shelter you get the dog from. Find a dog that will suit your living situation and then go on www.petfinder.org and find a shelter that has that type of dog (purebreed or mix) in your area. Call the shelter and tell them what you are doing. Trust me, they will love it. Not many people take so much effort in getting a dog. The shelter workers will be able to tell you how much the adoption fee is. Depending on how healthy the dog is that you want (some dogs have allergies, skin problems, etc.) depends on how much you will spend on vet bills. You can call the different vets in your area and compare their prices. PetsMart has pet insurance which helps out with vet bills. If you have one in your area, it's worth looking into. As for food, there is a food on the market called Nutro. It's holistic with no chicken by products and no corn, which cannot be digested by dogs. Dogs eat less and poop less on this food. The first three ingredients are human grade. It's an awesome food that helps with a lot of skin, coat, and allergy problems in dogs. For my two dogs that both weigh under 20 lbs., I buy one medium sized bag (can't think of the size right now) and it lasts both of them about a month and a half. They also have a frequent buyers program.

The adoption fee for my dog was $90. She was already spayed, dewormed, etc etc. She did have mange though. I went in the shelter wanting to adopt the most hard to rehome dog they had that I would be able to deal with. It turns out she had bad case of mange and had SEVERE shyness. Almost 2 years now and she almost a 100% turn around on her shyness. The mange took a month and about $150 to take care of, but we knew what we were in for.

Feel free to email me for any other questions you may have.

Answer 7

Most shelters charge the cost for vet expenses for the puppy or dog you are adopting. If you adopt a puppy from a shelter, the adoption fee will include the puppy's spay/neutering, first shots, and licensing. You will still need to take the puppy to a vet to make sure he/she doesn't have worms, fleas, ticks or any other health issues. Many vets do free puppy exams and only charge for the cost of the medication (mine gives the first month of heartguard and frontline free). Heartguard costs around 45 dollars for a six month supply and the frontline is around 40 dollars for a three month supply, however, depending on how much your dog will be outside you may be able to stretch a three month supply to six months. The packet says that one application can last as long as three months, but I was told by my vet to reapply every two months (my puppy spends a limited amount of time outside). The best brand of puppy food I have found is Nutro (Natural Choice) Chicken, Oatmeal and Rice kibble. I believe the 5 lb bag runs around 7 dollars, the larger bags are more expensive, but price per pound are more cost effective. If you buy a collar that can 'grow' with the puppy you can save a little money, and a retractable leash is a bit expensive at first, but you will find they are more durable, and thus last longer then a normal leash. You can find kennels at dollar stores for around 20 dollars, and most pet stores have sales on puppy/dog toys. The best types of treats I have found so far are Snausages (my dog devours them!) and Old Mother Hubbard all natural treats. You ofcourse will need to add in the costs of combs, nail clippers and shampoos. If you get a dog that has shorter hair you can groom him or her yourself and save on a grooming fee. If you keep your dog in good health by feeding the right products, bathing and exercising you should not incur many vet bills, besides the annual dog license and rabies shots. Your best bet is to call a local pet store or shelter and ask for a vet recommendation. Then call the vet and ask if they can give a price quote on both a first puppy visit (shots, dewormer, heartguard and frontline, although frontline is cheaper online or at a pet store) and the annual exams, as well as the cost of exams once the puppy becomes a senior. Also, unlike what some posts have said, when you get the dog, make sure you feed it as much as it will eat. Puppies are growing and their food needs change daily. Most dogs (not all) will only eat as much as they nutritiously need.

Answer 8

Time for you to do your research. Here's a list of things you will need to know:

Animal Shelter:

1. Adoption Fee
2. Neutering/Spaying fee [most shelters REQUIRE the adopted animal be spayed or neutered][sometimes the adoption fee includes a coupon for the spaying/neutering - if so, check with your vet to see if they honor the coupon, and ifthey do the procedure for the coupon value only or if they add an additional charges on top of the coupon value.

Veterinary:

Call the vet and ask: how many visits, what each visit costs, which innoculations are required, which vaccinations are required
Our new puppy required three initial visits
The vet will have standard shots for your pet to receive.
Tell him what you want to know.
If your shelter animal has worms or other parasites, there may be other costs to test for and treat those problems.
Heart worm medicine [Heartguard], sold in six-month supply, get cost for a year's supply.

3. Wal-Mart / Pet-store

Collar
Leash
Food bowl
Water Bowl
Kennel/Pet Taxi
Shampoo
Chewing toys
Food
Treats
Tie-out stake
Tie-out lead [20 to 25 feet]
Flea treatment
Cleaning solution [for carpet when your pet has accidents]

I like your approach - writing an essay. It shows you are serious about your wanting a pet, and are willing to do the work. Make sure you take care of your pet with as much effort as you are demonstrating to get one.

Answer 9

I adopted my dog from a humane society in Pennsylvania. He was $75. Purebreds cost more than mixed breeds. My dog is 60 pounds and eats 3 cups of food per day and I probably spend $20 a month on food for him. Vet bills are not too bad. My dog went in because he was throwing up for 2 days and they charged me for a check-up, A shot for his nausea, a weeks worth of antibiotics, a stool sampling for parasites and it was only $56 which I was shocked. I thought it would be more. -----My dog is the best thing that ever happened to me!

Answer 10

The cost for adoption will very according to where you live....$50-$150.

Vet Cost for a healthy dog (also according to where you live)...$35-$75 per visit...usually only need to go once a yr once the "puppy" shots have been taken care of...you will need "heartgard"...runs $20-$35-$45 according to weight of dog.

Food (good quality)...$25-$45 (found pretty good dog food at Costco for $20)...this cost is for a big dog...the bag will only last about 2 weeks if fed right...small dog, a large bag should last all month.

Hope this helps!