A foster dog is supposed to be a temporary addition to your home until the animal rescue finds a forever home. Your foster failure brings their efforts to a screeching halt since you couldn’t bear saying goodbye to those puppy-dog eyes. They have a permanent home with you.
The term “foster fail” may have a negative connotation, but it works out positively in the end. After all, a dog in need has still found a loving home — it just happens to be yours!
Now that your pooch is no longer a foster, you will lose many of the fostering privileges you’ve come to expect. Are you ready for these new responsibilities? Here are some things you should budget for as a new dog parent.
1. Ongoing Vet Costs
Typically, a foster arrives to your home after a check-up with a vet, who ensures the dog is in good health and up to date with vaccinations. Any veterinarian care is covered by the rescue, including medication for any ongoing health issues.
This financial safety net disappears when you officially adopt the dog, which means you have to pay all your pup’s vet bills from here on in.
Three in five Canadians believe vet bills are too expensive, so be prepared to shell out a lot of money for their routine care. A single office call may cost as much as $120, and you can expect to pay more for other routine services such as booster shots and flea and tick medication.
2. Urgent Care Visits
It’s easy to budget for Fido’s annual check-up that you schedule in advance. An unexpected visit to the vet, on the other hand, can be challenging to afford — even if you save monthly for vet costs. Not only can an emergency occur when you drain these savings, but these urgent visits are usually much more expensive than a routine appointment.
If your savings fall short of an emergency, consider an online line of credit. Online lines of credit belong to the umbrella of emergency loans in Canada that you may use for unexpected, urgent expenses.
If you have one already, you can put your emergency vet care on this account and pay it back later. As long as you always hit the minimum payment, you can pay it back in small amounts that fit your budget.
If you don’t have a line of credit yet, check out a lender like Fora for more information. You can even apply with Fora Credit online while you wait in the clinic.
3. Food Costs
Food is another thing you’ll have to pay out of pocket once you adopt your dog. While a bag of dog chow may not be as much as an urgent after-hours visit to the vet, it can be just as difficult to handle. That’s because it will be a regular drain on your paycheck.
Look up the brand of food your rescue shelter provided to see how much this will add to your monthly budget. If you want to change brands to save money, do it slowly so you don’t upset Fido’s stomach.
According to The Spruce Pets, you can expect to spend anywhere from $20 to $60 per month on food and treats. Where you fall on this scale depends on how much your dog eats and the quality of food.
Bottom Line:
A foster fail is an adoption success. Keep these costs in mind to make sure your finances succeed, too.
