Dog Blog

I got my mutt Ace for free. His previous owner recognized she would be saving money for every day Ace was out of her life, so she did not accept the $50 I offered her. If she could see this post, then she would really know how much she’s saved! But I wasn’t attracted to Ace because he was free. Instead, I adopted him because I knew he would fit well into my lifestyle. I admired his gentleness and athletic ...

When Kodiak tore a muscle in his back leg, it cost the Siberian husky’s owners $10,000 to fix. That included the initial vet visit, anesthesia, x-rays and surgery. Megan Casto ended up paying for the treatment out of pocket. Well, with credit cards. “It was not an easy thing to pay for it, but we didn’t even question whether or not we’d get him fixed up,” she said. Megan maintains the bl ...

Should you hire a local pet sitter? Schedules are busy, making it hard to meet the tight pick-up and drop-off hours of boarding kennels. Some dogs can’t handle the stress and noise of a busy kennel, and some aren’t welcome because of aggression or their breed. Friends and family members probably don’t want to deal with your animals while you’re away either. Trusting your dogs with a professi ...

I certainly do not have pet insurance for my mutt and cat. But I’m not totally against it, either. I have young and healthy pets, and so far I’ve been able to afford all of their vet bills with no problems. I would also be willing to spend a few thousand dollars out of pocket if one of them ever needed it. Maybe when I have more income and more pets it will make sense to buy pet insurance. For now, I̵ ...