Download Pet vet care is often too costly in this tough economy. But there are

Pet vet care is often too costly in this tough economy. But there are options.
By Annika McGinnis and Alicia McElhaney, USA TODAY7:51 p.m. EDT June 7, 2014
(Photo: The Pet Fund)
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Dogs may be "man's best friend," but in a still-struggling economy with rising veterinary
costs, more Americans are choosing to put their ailing pets to sleep rather than pay for
expensive treatments, experts say.
At Montgomery County Animal Resource Center in Dayton, Ohio, the rate of people
seeking to euthanize their pets because they can't afford treatment is rising between 10%
and 12% a year, says Director Mark Kumpf. And at The Pet Fund, which raises money
for people who can't afford pet care, calls requesting financial support have doubled,
says Executive Director Karen Leslie.
Each year, 3 million to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters,
including about 2.7 million that are considered adoptable, according to the Humane
Society of the United States. Though "economic euthanasia" isn't tracked nationally,
Kumpf, Leslie and some other pet experts say the cost of veterinary treatment has risen
higher than many pet owners can afford and is contributing to an increase.
At the Thomas Beath Veterinary Clinic in Fredericksburg, Va., two-thirds of the pets put
to sleep every week are euthanized for economic reasons, clinic owners say.
"I've never seen as many people lining up to turn over pets," says Kumpf, former
executive director of the National Animal Control Association. "It's heart-wrenching to see
so many people come through the door."
Americans own 83.3 million dogs and 95.6 million cats, according to research out last fall
from the American Pet Products Association and the Humane Society of the United
States. These owners spent about $55.53 billion on these pets in 2013, about $2 billion
more than in 2012.
Costs are rising because vets are paying more for rent, employees, medication and
equipment. The standard of care has also increased as vets adopt advanced treatments
such as MRIs and bone marrow transplants, says Dog Fancy magazine editor Ernie
Slone. Sophisticated medical care for an ailing cat or dog can easily run into thousands
of dollars.
In December, a dog with salmonella had to be euthanized at Thomas Beath because his
owners waited 10 days to bring him in out of fear of the costs of treating him, says Beath
co-owner Jeanette Allard. But by then, their only choice was to pay $1,000 daily at a
specialty hospital, which they couldn't afford, she says.
"It kills me because it's an emergency, so we can't help them," says Allard, whose facility
is a low-cost clinic. "Pets to many people are like family members. … If you feel that way
about your pet, you're going to be devastated."
Turning pets over to animal shelters isn't necessarily a better solution. Many shelters are
under financial constraints themselves and, especially in rural areas with low rates of
spaying and neutering, often have high kill rates. Local rescue groups, such as Lost Dog
and Cat Rescue and 4Paws cat rescue in the Washington, D.C., area, move as many
pets as they can from shelters into foster homes before they are put to sleep. But they,
too, rely on donations to pay for medical care.
Ohio's Montgomery County Animal Shelter raised money and used some of its own late last year to have this dog
treated for smoke inhalation after one of its owners died in a house fire and her significant other couldn't afford to
treat the dog or pick him up. The shelter cared for the dog for a month.(Photo: Montgomery County Animal Shelter)
There are options for owners struggling to pay for vet care:
• Crowd-sourcing. Owners have used crowd-sourcing sites such as Gofundme to raise
money for pet medical care. One person found a stray dog that was hit by a car and
raised $6,000 to treat the dog's fractures on Gofundme. The dog, once named Crash,
has a happy ending and a new name. Winston has starred in commercials for the Ohio
shelter.
• Non-profits. Groups including The Pet Fund and Best Friends Animal Society and
some shelters including Kumpf's will also help owners find ways to get help with bills. The
Pet Fund, based in Sacramento, has volunteers around the country, and pet owners in
every state are eligible for assistance.
• Insurance. Pet insurance can help with treatment costs, but it can often be more
expensive than the treatment. Trey Simpson, 26, says without the Trupanion pet
insurance he bought for his basset hound, Hashbrown, he likely still wouldn't have the pet
today. But a 2011 Consumer Reports analysis of four policies concluded insurance was
"rarely worth the price." Setting money aside periodically for vet bills and getting annual
checkups at a low-cost clinic may be better options.
Rescue groups take in all the pets they can, as they know how traumatic it is for people
to have to give up their four-legged companions. Barbara Hutcherson, director of
programs at Lost Dog and Cat Rescue in Arlington, Va., says pet owners sometimes just
can't "provide what that animal needs due to changes in their family finances or job
changes that have caused them to have a tighter budget."
"The saddest thing that I see in my e-mail inbox is probably when someone needs to give
up an older pet that they have had for many years because the care has become so
expensive," she says.
Contributing: Jayne O'Donnell and Ana Christina Spies
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