Do you have to be rich or win the lottery to own a dog?

Question

If not then how do people who go on about 'leaving dogs alone in the day is cruel' pay for there dogs food vets bills, and so on, just a thought.

Answer 1

true, it's very annoying. I know my dogs miss me when I go to work and they try to make me feel so guilty for leaving as they stare at my pitefully out the window each morning... but I think they would prefere being left alone all day to the alternative of the impending death that I saved them from?

Answer 2

Well I am not rich by any means. I work 5 days a week just like everyone else. I have a dog and 2 cats at home. Yeah, I leave my dog home alone in the day, however, my parents live next door and they let him out once during the day until I come home. How do I pay for the vet bills, well, my husband is a Vet Tech and I was before I started my new job, so after many long hours at the same animal hospital, we have earned ourselves a 50% discount on our pets veterinary needs. So no, once again I am not rich, but I have earned what I have and my pets are well taken care of.

Answer 3

Not to own one but to buy certain breeds it is helpful to be rich. Many pedigrees are between £800-2000.

People who say leaving dogs alone in the day is cruel atre just generalising in an extremely annoying fashion. Certain breeds require more stimulation than others, for example Collies should not be left alone all day, they are just too intelligent and require stimulation.

You could leave your bulldog at home, however, and it could be 7 hours before he realises you are gone! Bulldogs cost up to £2000,however.

So if you want to leave a dog at home while you work it is a good idea to get a lazy, non-active breed or perhaps a pair to keep each other company.

Just exercise common sense and do the very best for your animals by giving them quality time and interaction at the weekends and evenings.

Think how many dogs are badly treated by people home all day- it doesn't bear thinking about and how many of the dogs in the pound waiting to be put down would give their right paw to have an owner who would give them a snuggly, warm bed, good food and be there for them at 6pm everyday and at weekends??

So often the best thing to do is get a grown on puppy of about 6 mths + or an adult needing a new home. That way you won't have to deal with as much problem chewing and you can make sure you choose a dog with a calm nature as the personality will be very evident.

Answer 4

You don't have to be rich, you just have to be more responsible with the way you choose to spend your money. Basic pet health insurance doesn't really cost that much if you break it all down. If you are a smoker - you can afford pet health insurance - just gotta cut down on the smoking. Or maybe there are other things you could easily go without.

If you have to go away for real long periods of time, then maybe you could ask a friend or neighbour to come over and walk the dog and give him some food each day, and make sure he's okay. If you are totally unable to do that, then maybe you should think about not having a dog. Or at least wait until you are in a position where you can spend more time with it.

After all, a dog will be part of your family - you wouldn't leave your children without these simple things, would you? :-/

Answer 5

Yea, some people think that only people who are home 24/7, never crate their dog, and have a couple thousand for emergency Vet care should have a dog.

Doesn't leave very many people does it? And then at the same time they will rant and rave about all the homeless dogs! Well, DUH!

The animal 'rights' groups don't want ANYONE to own pets, this is their propaganda in action. Of course, JQP just eats it up, wouldn't want to think ya know.

Answer 6

You don't have to be rich, I only work part-time (3 hours a day) so I don't leave my dogs on their own for more than 4 hours tops, I WON'T go shopping on the way home, my dogs are really important to me, their needs come before mine, I want to keep them so I MUST look after them properly, I buy them one of the best dog foods and have them all insured in case of large vet bills, I grow all my own veg so that saves money, I buy my clothes at charity shops/on e-Bay etc, my food is very often the value brands but I don't starve and am NOT on Benefits either, it is manageable if you really want to do it, I would Never Ever leave my dogs all day while I worked 9-5 or whatever, it's far too long, if you work out the time it takes you to get to work, maybe 1/2-1hr X2 so that's another 2 hours making it 10 hours the dog is alone then maybe you might want to go out for the evening lets say another 3 hours making it 13 hours that your dog hasn't seen you then you go to bed and that's perhaps another 6 hours, so a total of 19 out of one day that your poor dog hasn't seen you, whats OK about that???!!! And in case you are wondering I have had 2 children who are now grown up and have moved away or at UNI and they didn't starve either!
EDIT, my dogs go for a long walk (about 1 hour) before I go to work, 1/2 hr when I get home and a really long walk before it gets dark all off lead!

Answer 7

Thank you for that :)

I have paid over $4000 to my vet in the last 3 years because my older dog needed medical attention as well as medications. Would have been nice to have won the lottery!

I have a separate account that I throw a little money into here and there in case of emergencies for the pets (which I have tapped into for a $1000 emergency vet visit). I have 4 animals that are all microchipped and need regular checkups and vacc's every year. They're active and go everywhere with us (the two dogs anyways). I have to be prepared to care for them if something were to happen.

I have to work to pay for my pets. They spend 7 hours a day at home alone. They have a damn good home with me and no one can tell me otherwise.

Leaving your pets alone so you can go to work every day is not cruel. If separation anxiety is an issue, then something needs to be done about it. But whoever says that leaving your pets alone is cruel needs a reality check!

They could be on the streets scrounging!

Answer 8

It is OK to leave the dog alone during the time you work, but it is true that dogs need company, so you must be prepared to spend time with him when you get back and before you leave for work (play, bathe, walk, train, etc.). Cats are much more independent.

However, some people are away too long and they should refrain from the urge to buy a pet. I see many dogs on balconies barking alone for endless hours. All things said, I am normally one of those people, but I did rescue a dog because there was no choice really - it was coming with me or dying, so better be it with me, although I can't offer the best conditions.

Answer 9

No you don't have to be rich to own a dog.But you should be to have kids.Dogs don't get into near as much mischief when left alone as kids do.Yet people think nothing of leaving their teen-agers home without supervision.
My dogs are home alone all day and we all hate it.But before I go to work we pile into the car and go to the park where they run after the laser light and track deer for an hour.They sleep at least half the day away.So I miss them way more than they miss me.
If more people would get up a little earlier and see to their animals needs before they rush off and leave them there would be fewer people telling them they are being cruel to their animals.
Just my opinion.

Answer 10

Im not rich at all, but I do work and I do save a lot for my pets annual vet visit and I have some save away for if an emergency happens.

I have a 2 cats and 4 rats so while I'm gone during the day they have some company. Dogs require more attention though.

Answer 11

No you don't have to be rich or win the lottery to own a dog. However, I believe that before one accepts the responsiblity of becoming a pet owner he/she should be aware of what they need to have to provide for their pet.
Dogs do cost a lot of money. The nessecities: dog food, flea/tick medicine, vaccinations, and regular vet check ups cost enough as it is. Then you add on costs for toys, treats, leashes, collars, and any vet visits due to illness or accident. Also, the cost is relative to the size of the dog. The larger the dog, the more you spend on dog food!
You are looking at a bare minimum of a couple hundred dollars a year. To some people that is a lot of money. I have two mini doxies who take up a lot of my time and attention, but also quite a bit of money.
Example: one of my doxies was sick a couple of weeks ago. It could have been nothing except for an upset stomach, but I played it safe and took him to the vet. $56 for the vet visit. That's more than my co-pay when I go to the Doctor! But he is my baby and I am going to take care of him.
So, in conclusion, you don't need to be wealthy to own a dog, but you do need to be able to set aside money to take care of your pet.
As far as leaving your dogs alone during the day, I do not believe this in its own is cruel. My boys stay at home during the day while I'm at work, but when I come home we go for a long walk/run and they get to play and run around the house the rest of the evening. I will give you the example of my neighbor, who I think is cruel to her dog. She has a wiemeraner, very high energy, active dog breed. He is in the garage during the day when she is at work, when she gets home he gets put on a chain which is not very long (I wouldn't put my little dogs on it!). He is stuck on the chain for the rest of the evening. He rarely, if ever gets to go on walks and whenever my boyfriend and I see her interacting with the dogs she is yelling at it, hitting it, etc. I feel so sorry for this dog and it breaks my heart. So just leaving them at home during the day isn't cruel, as long as you give them the exersize and attention they need when you get home.