This is so horrible to think about. I would NEVER give up my dog for anything, even for a home. I'd rather live in my car than give her up because she has saved me.
It's despicable that society has come to this.
We have anon-profit here that helps vulnerable people who rely on their dogs, to actually stay with their dogs. It's called Parachutes for Pets and I thought of it immediately when I read this. https://www.parachutesforpets.com/
Our vet (the vet that we use for our dogs) started a fund when they opened in their current location (about 14 years ago) named after the vet's dog who was ill when she was in vet school. The fund's purpose is to assist in helping owners pay for care if the owners can't afford care, if that care would impose a financial hardship.
The application process for assistance is one of the least 'judgmental', accessible programs I've seen in a long time (we're 4 decade+ dog owners here).
We need more programs like this one (our vet) and the Parachutes for Pets. There are a few others around the country, but we're also losing vets and vet techs to burn out - and veterinarians have a shockingly high rate of death by suicide.
We need all sorts of organizations and safety nets for our society.
A vet who writes here on substack mentioned this the other day. We have friends who are struggling with vet bills, debating if they afford to add a pet again - we also lost a very ill, medically complex dog about 6 weeks ago. His vet bills were just stunning - but we also didn't feel 'overcharged' etc - he received excellent care but his passing was just brutal (bloat).
Am hoping that we can keep calling attention to all of this.
In the meantime, had you seen the Mother Jones piece discussing a cruel element in the "big bill"'s addendum that would ban pets from domestic violence shelters?
It gets worse for the whole vet industry. Vet companies are being bought out by large corporations. When the original vets retire they sell their practice to them---I understand, they all want to live 'the good life' too. But once it's corporate owned, profits are the reason for being. Vet fees go up. You are 'encouraged' to have 'wellness checks' for your pet... It'll be a different vet you see every time, etc... So the rich take over the business, like the rich buy up all the rural land and rent it out for much higher fees. It's a winner take all mentality. And it's the price of doing business. I've rescued dogs from the pound all my adult life. Now that I'm retired (on a fixed income) I still have a dog, but he costs me. Our world has become a very sad place.
We had Abby, our Boston mix, for 16 years. In her last 2 years of life, she had multiple medical problems. We maxed out our credit cards to help her. We're still paying off that debt. We can no longer afford a dog or any pet.
Recently went through this, had to give up my pittie Princess because I, on social security, simply could not afford a fifteen hundred dollar vet bill. It tore me up and I cannot forgive the veterinarian that inflicted that kind of pain on me.
“There was a time when almost everyone could do something to earn a living. Chop wood, deliver milk, sew clothes, clean houses. Hard work didn’t often lead to wealth, but it at least meant survival, and there was always something that needed doing.”
I met a lady from the South who said
(You won’t believe she said it, but she said it):
“None of my family ever worked or had
A thing to sell.” I don’t suppose the work
Much matters. You may work for all of me.
I’ve seen the time I’ve had to work myself.
The having anything to sell is what
Is the disgrace, in man or state or nation.
—Robert Frost, New Hampshire
The plain fact is, the only thing most of us have to sell is our labor. When AI takes over the work, we will all be left destitute. Who then will buy all the overpriced and/or superfluous stuff that the owner class depends on selling? We need to fundamentally restructure the way we organize our affairs.
I just put my 2 cat buddies down in the last 3 months, 20 and 22. They were feral when they arrived and lead a very good life. Toward the end one needed insulin and the appointment just to get him tested was$500.00. The insulin was another $50. When we first got them cost wasn’t an issue, so in their lifetime, vet care has become totally out of control. Now you have to have pet insurance if you have more than one. Just imagine pet health insurance, never thought I would see such a thing. Every aspect of American life has been monetized to the extent that it’s basically impossible to live like we grew up. What the hell happened, to much greed just ruined the place.
Your pups are absolutely adorable. I too have two dogs who spend a lot of time hanging out on the futon in my office, and who have cost me i-don't-like-to-think-how-much in vet bills over the years. They're amazing creatures who give so much love and laughter every day. And just like everything else that helps us thrive, they're becoming a luxury item in this country. Meanwhile thousands are euthanized every day because they can't be placed in homes. Heartbreaking.
Private Equity and related robber barons are the problem. Yes they will use AI to further strip wealth from the rest of us, but there is no AI in the vet business and private equity is sucking wealth out of it anyway. Don't fret about AI. The LLMs in particular are being over hyped. Our problem is robber barons and the fascists they are bring to power.
Sorry to tell you, Michelle, I have seen low-income people who spent more money on their pets (two dogs, three cats and a bird) than they did on food for their kids. I couldn't get a handle on their priorities at all.
My kids love our pets so much! They are a part of our family. We are low income. I couldn’t afford to have some of our dog’s teeth removed (that were making him ill and in pain)… my oldest paid for it because he loves this dog so much! I paid him back when I got my tax refund. Also, my mom gave me shit because I need dental work and teeth removed. I told her that I can handle the pain, but felt horrible that my dog was in pain and there was nothing I could do for him except have his teeth removed.
I mean I would absolutely take care of my kids’ needs first. Mine will absolutely take a back seat to pets. We also have birds, and there is a lack of exotic vets in our area, so that is always expensive! I rehomed several birds because I know I can’t afford the vet care, but my kids are so attached to our birds as well. I had a talk with them and kept the ones we are all most attached to. I pray they don’t need vet care.
I had Trupanion insurance for my last dog Jake. It was $90 - $100 a month. Jake unfortunately got leukemia ($$$$), and Trupanion paid for almost everything, immediately.
I'm not gainsaying anything you said about private equity, though. They are blood suckers.
I've had lots of dogs, and some cats, through the years. They've all been shelter pets except the one we have now. I let my wife have a small toy poodle puppy a few years ago because I wanted her to try and get over her fear of dogs. It worked, sort of. Now she's only afraid of big dogs. Big dogs as in anything bigger than her toy poodle.
He is quite the joy for both of us but expensive as well. We shelled out a lot of money just to bring him home, then the vet bills started in. My wife convinced me that we had to have pet health insurance so I fork out over fifty dollars a month for this wellness insurance that only covers his shots, and an annual checkup. We get a discount on anything else because of the insurance, which helps.
I agree with some folks here. Once this little dog passes away, he will be the last one for us. We will grieve for him (my wife more than I), and life will move on. I doubt we will get another one at our age. I could be wrong. For me, I can live without the expense. My wife may not want another one due to all of the love she invested in this one. But until that happens, we will love this one like a member of the family. Sometimes that is worth all of the expense involved for as long as we have them. I'm fortunate that I can absorb the expenses, such as they are. If we are faced with a several thousand dollar vet bill in the future, I might balk. We'll see how things go.
Pets are a good thing for a lot of people. Especially the disabled. Our dog is too small for the VA to cover the expense of training to be a PTSD dog for me so I have him trained to a degree, or maybe he trained me, I don't know for sure. All I do know is that he is there for me when I have one of my bad dreams and that is good enough for me. No amount of money will ever replace that. I can't imagine waking up from a bad dream with something created by AI. That would be a nightmare unto itself.
AI are eliminating some jobs and creating other jobs. My nephew has a job because he works in AI. If it was a prior time he would be doing manual labor, but he realized early on that the jobs that were being created are in AI and computers so he got off his butt and learned about computers, AI and all that goes with that. Jobs doing manual labor are being eliminating in favor of jobs which require knowledge. I think jobs which require knowledge are better jobs than manual labor. Society is always changing. If you made buggy whips you would be out of a job. Does that mean we should still make buggy whips, NO of course not, that would be stupid? Please get the skills to do today's jobs not yesterday's jobs. That has always been good advise, even back in the day.
AI is eating essentially all the jobs I used to do. And you’re under the impression we are just too lazy to learn about computers … you know we all learned how to use computers a very long time ago, right?
This by the way has nothing to do with having a dog as a pet. AI and computer jobs allow you to have dogs as pets, and also allow you to provide for you children.
Yup. I have a job at the moment in AI, but when AI improves to the point that I am no longer needed, what then? I’m probably just as disposable as anyone else. Oh and btw, my job pays below what is considered a living wage for my area and I can barely afford my rent and my own food and food for my pets. So much for jobs in AI and computers being a panacea, eh?
This is so horrible to think about. I would NEVER give up my dog for anything, even for a home. I'd rather live in my car than give her up because she has saved me.
It's despicable that society has come to this.
We have anon-profit here that helps vulnerable people who rely on their dogs, to actually stay with their dogs. It's called Parachutes for Pets and I thought of it immediately when I read this. https://www.parachutesforpets.com/
We need more such organizations. Or to fix our society and economy.
Our vet (the vet that we use for our dogs) started a fund when they opened in their current location (about 14 years ago) named after the vet's dog who was ill when she was in vet school. The fund's purpose is to assist in helping owners pay for care if the owners can't afford care, if that care would impose a financial hardship.
The application process for assistance is one of the least 'judgmental', accessible programs I've seen in a long time (we're 4 decade+ dog owners here).
We need more programs like this one (our vet) and the Parachutes for Pets. There are a few others around the country, but we're also losing vets and vet techs to burn out - and veterinarians have a shockingly high rate of death by suicide.
We need all sorts of organizations and safety nets for our society.
A vet who writes here on substack mentioned this the other day. We have friends who are struggling with vet bills, debating if they afford to add a pet again - we also lost a very ill, medically complex dog about 6 weeks ago. His vet bills were just stunning - but we also didn't feel 'overcharged' etc - he received excellent care but his passing was just brutal (bloat).
Am hoping that we can keep calling attention to all of this.
In the meantime, had you seen the Mother Jones piece discussing a cruel element in the "big bill"'s addendum that would ban pets from domestic violence shelters?
This is beyond cruel:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/06/domestic-violence-pets-shelters-abuse/
It hurts my heart that I can’t afford to have a dog, and that makes me angrier than I can say.
Teri, I totally understand because I wasn't in a position to have one for years, due to the cost of living in places that allow them.
It gets worse for the whole vet industry. Vet companies are being bought out by large corporations. When the original vets retire they sell their practice to them---I understand, they all want to live 'the good life' too. But once it's corporate owned, profits are the reason for being. Vet fees go up. You are 'encouraged' to have 'wellness checks' for your pet... It'll be a different vet you see every time, etc... So the rich take over the business, like the rich buy up all the rural land and rent it out for much higher fees. It's a winner take all mentality. And it's the price of doing business. I've rescued dogs from the pound all my adult life. Now that I'm retired (on a fixed income) I still have a dog, but he costs me. Our world has become a very sad place.
Yes. There’s a link in there to a piece about private equity buying vet practices you will probably appreciate.
Trump hates dogs. Why this isn't mentioned more often is baffling.
We had Abby, our Boston mix, for 16 years. In her last 2 years of life, she had multiple medical problems. We maxed out our credit cards to help her. We're still paying off that debt. We can no longer afford a dog or any pet.
Bostons are the best. Rest in peace sweet Abby. 🌈🐾
Recently went through this, had to give up my pittie Princess because I, on social security, simply could not afford a fifteen hundred dollar vet bill. It tore me up and I cannot forgive the veterinarian that inflicted that kind of pain on me.
That breaks my heart!
“There was a time when almost everyone could do something to earn a living. Chop wood, deliver milk, sew clothes, clean houses. Hard work didn’t often lead to wealth, but it at least meant survival, and there was always something that needed doing.”
I met a lady from the South who said
(You won’t believe she said it, but she said it):
“None of my family ever worked or had
A thing to sell.” I don’t suppose the work
Much matters. You may work for all of me.
I’ve seen the time I’ve had to work myself.
The having anything to sell is what
Is the disgrace, in man or state or nation.
—Robert Frost, New Hampshire
The plain fact is, the only thing most of us have to sell is our labor. When AI takes over the work, we will all be left destitute. Who then will buy all the overpriced and/or superfluous stuff that the owner class depends on selling? We need to fundamentally restructure the way we organize our affairs.
I just put my 2 cat buddies down in the last 3 months, 20 and 22. They were feral when they arrived and lead a very good life. Toward the end one needed insulin and the appointment just to get him tested was$500.00. The insulin was another $50. When we first got them cost wasn’t an issue, so in their lifetime, vet care has become totally out of control. Now you have to have pet insurance if you have more than one. Just imagine pet health insurance, never thought I would see such a thing. Every aspect of American life has been monetized to the extent that it’s basically impossible to live like we grew up. What the hell happened, to much greed just ruined the place.
You answered your own question — greed.
Your pups are absolutely adorable. I too have two dogs who spend a lot of time hanging out on the futon in my office, and who have cost me i-don't-like-to-think-how-much in vet bills over the years. They're amazing creatures who give so much love and laughter every day. And just like everything else that helps us thrive, they're becoming a luxury item in this country. Meanwhile thousands are euthanized every day because they can't be placed in homes. Heartbreaking.
That breaks my heart. I’d keep adopting forever if vet care weren’t so expensive.
Yes, for the dogs. My Bugsy was my bright light in my life. Stuff could go sideways, but I always had him.
Private Equity and related robber barons are the problem. Yes they will use AI to further strip wealth from the rest of us, but there is no AI in the vet business and private equity is sucking wealth out of it anyway. Don't fret about AI. The LLMs in particular are being over hyped. Our problem is robber barons and the fascists they are bring to power.
Sorry to tell you, Michelle, I have seen low-income people who spent more money on their pets (two dogs, three cats and a bird) than they did on food for their kids. I couldn't get a handle on their priorities at all.
My kids love our pets so much! They are a part of our family. We are low income. I couldn’t afford to have some of our dog’s teeth removed (that were making him ill and in pain)… my oldest paid for it because he loves this dog so much! I paid him back when I got my tax refund. Also, my mom gave me shit because I need dental work and teeth removed. I told her that I can handle the pain, but felt horrible that my dog was in pain and there was nothing I could do for him except have his teeth removed.
These are such terrible decisions to have to make!
I mean I would absolutely take care of my kids’ needs first. Mine will absolutely take a back seat to pets. We also have birds, and there is a lack of exotic vets in our area, so that is always expensive! I rehomed several birds because I know I can’t afford the vet care, but my kids are so attached to our birds as well. I had a talk with them and kept the ones we are all most attached to. I pray they don’t need vet care.
I haven't turned on my TV since that nonsense in LA started. You know it's all meant to put a damper on the protests planned for his birthday party.
I live in the Washington DC area and we are bracing for trouble at the parade this weekend.
I'm about 100 miles from Atlanta, I understand there was a little trouble there but for the most part, the 1st amendment still works :)
I had Trupanion insurance for my last dog Jake. It was $90 - $100 a month. Jake unfortunately got leukemia ($$$$), and Trupanion paid for almost everything, immediately.
I'm not gainsaying anything you said about private equity, though. They are blood suckers.
I've had lots of dogs, and some cats, through the years. They've all been shelter pets except the one we have now. I let my wife have a small toy poodle puppy a few years ago because I wanted her to try and get over her fear of dogs. It worked, sort of. Now she's only afraid of big dogs. Big dogs as in anything bigger than her toy poodle.
He is quite the joy for both of us but expensive as well. We shelled out a lot of money just to bring him home, then the vet bills started in. My wife convinced me that we had to have pet health insurance so I fork out over fifty dollars a month for this wellness insurance that only covers his shots, and an annual checkup. We get a discount on anything else because of the insurance, which helps.
I agree with some folks here. Once this little dog passes away, he will be the last one for us. We will grieve for him (my wife more than I), and life will move on. I doubt we will get another one at our age. I could be wrong. For me, I can live without the expense. My wife may not want another one due to all of the love she invested in this one. But until that happens, we will love this one like a member of the family. Sometimes that is worth all of the expense involved for as long as we have them. I'm fortunate that I can absorb the expenses, such as they are. If we are faced with a several thousand dollar vet bill in the future, I might balk. We'll see how things go.
Pets are a good thing for a lot of people. Especially the disabled. Our dog is too small for the VA to cover the expense of training to be a PTSD dog for me so I have him trained to a degree, or maybe he trained me, I don't know for sure. All I do know is that he is there for me when I have one of my bad dreams and that is good enough for me. No amount of money will ever replace that. I can't imagine waking up from a bad dream with something created by AI. That would be a nightmare unto itself.
AI are eliminating some jobs and creating other jobs. My nephew has a job because he works in AI. If it was a prior time he would be doing manual labor, but he realized early on that the jobs that were being created are in AI and computers so he got off his butt and learned about computers, AI and all that goes with that. Jobs doing manual labor are being eliminating in favor of jobs which require knowledge. I think jobs which require knowledge are better jobs than manual labor. Society is always changing. If you made buggy whips you would be out of a job. Does that mean we should still make buggy whips, NO of course not, that would be stupid? Please get the skills to do today's jobs not yesterday's jobs. That has always been good advise, even back in the day.
AI is eating essentially all the jobs I used to do. And you’re under the impression we are just too lazy to learn about computers … you know we all learned how to use computers a very long time ago, right?
I’m afraid you’re sadly uninformed.
This by the way has nothing to do with having a dog as a pet. AI and computer jobs allow you to have dogs as pets, and also allow you to provide for you children.
You’re going to find out.
AI is even eating jobs like engineering now.
Yup. I have a job at the moment in AI, but when AI improves to the point that I am no longer needed, what then? I’m probably just as disposable as anyone else. Oh and btw, my job pays below what is considered a living wage for my area and I can barely afford my rent and my own food and food for my pets. So much for jobs in AI and computers being a panacea, eh?