6 tips to save on annual dog expenses
From donations to car pooling
They grow up so fast. You hear people say this about kids, but the same can be true about dogs. I was surprised when I showed up to my parents’ house on New Year’s Day, and my mother had a collection of items she wanted me to donate on Freecycle. Her Shih Tzu mix isn’t even old enough to be neutered yet, and the puppy is already outgrowing her X-Small and Small clothing. For some pet owners, that first year is enough to break the bank.
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American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) guesstimates the annual cost of dog expenses are $512 for small dogs, $669 for medium dogs and $1,040.31 for large dogs. Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to see how true that was. In year one with my Hound mix (who weighs somewhere between 30-32 lbs as an adult dog), I spent a total of $1,447.30. In 2022, I spent $1,011.65. While the rate is lower than her puppy year, that’s still a sizable amount of money.
However, there are a few ways that pet owners can save on annual expenses even more. Here’s how.