2. Anticipate unexpected costs
Jan Valecka, a professed dog lover and a CFP at Valecka Wealth Management in Dallas, Texas, encourages her clients — including a retired woman with five dogs — to plan for expenses, especially if they’re living on a fixed income. Her estimate for one dog is $600 per year for food, treats and other items, and $800 for vet visits. You’ll also need to allow for boarding if you travel or are hospitalized.
Also, should your pet become injured, you may need in order to rush it to the vet. To cover these costs, make sure to have an adequate emergency fund, just as a person do to pay for roof or car repairs. It’s best to avoid paying for these services with a credit card.
“Pets are often a significant cost when special circumstances like surgery occur, ” says David Demming, a CFP at Demming Financial in Aurora, Ohio. For one cat he knows, a hip replacement might have cost as much as $15, 000. “Fortunately, it was ‘only’ the $3, 500 surgery, ” he says.
3. Ask about dog food and solutions at meals banks
Your local community may offer resources that will help cover costs. During the pandemic, the ASPCA began distributing food with regard to dogs and cats through regular foods banks in order to take advantage of the distribution infrastructure that was already in place. It offers such providers in New York, New York; Los Angeles, California; and Miami, Florida, and in Oklahoma for horses along with other equines.
“We encourage pet owners to contact their local food banks plus animal shelters to learn more about what resources, including pet food, supplies and/or medical care, that may be available, ” says Christa Chadwick, vice president of Shelter Services at the ASPCA.
Other nonprofits are also ready to help, as they strive in order to help people keep their animals, rather than having to surrender them to a shelter.
GOODS, a program of the Seattle, Washington-based Greater Good Charities, distributes pet as well as supplies in order to animal rescue partners in the U. S. and abroad. It sources and manages excess, rebranded, and short-dated food and supplies from donors, which includes manufacturers, distributors and retailers. GOODS then makes them available to thousands of animal welfare organizations, meals banks, Veteran Affairs locations and other qualified agencies.
