The Price Limit For Saving A Pet

3 Comments

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  Chrystal ocean 2/26/2009

  For people whose animal companions are their lifeline, the situation can come down to whether they’ve enough left not just for the animal’s welfare but for their own. Then the choice is none at all. For its own sake, the animal must go to the SPCA so that it can get the care that it needs and deserves. In the meantime, the human loses what may have been the only connection she had to another living being. Which means her own life could be at risk.

  A case in point. I’ve disabilities which severely limit the kind of work I can do. Ergo, I eke out a tiny income through self-employment. It averages $8,000 annually. Recent vet bills came to a total of $240 – three percent of my income. That’s a tremendous hit and has meant reducing by $20 a month – or 30 percent – an already miniscule food budget.
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  Alan Yu 2/26/2009

  That is a pretty frugal way of living I must say. I’m surprised that you have opted to have a pet as the food bill and all must be even more challenging with that situation let alone a vet bill.
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  Chrystal ocean 2/27/2009

  Nothing is cut and dried in situations like these. I rescued my cat 8-1/2 years ago, when she was a kitten and when times were better.

  Beware of judging people’s decisions when you don’t know all the facts.

  In my previous post I mentioned that for some people their animal companions are “their lifeline.” If, for reasons of disability, location, etc. one is isolated, an animal companion can be the only living being left to help you retain your humanity and, frankly, to prevent suicide. An animal companion needs to be cared for and loved, and it loves back.

  So people on very low income in this position face a Catch-22 situation when confronted with vet bills. 1. They spend whatever is needed to maintain the health of their animal companion. This inevitably means spending less on themselves for food, medical, etc. (Dental is completely out.) Thus their own physical health deteriorates. Or, 2. They take their animal companion to the SPCA and thus face deteriorating mental health and subsequent suicide.

  That’s the reality. Through work I did with low income people, I came across far too many in situations like this.