Rescue, Adopt – Give A Dog A Home

Costs to consider in adopting a new dog into your family.

Before committing to adopting a dog, affordability is a very important consideration.

Costs to consider when adopting a dog.  After the initial adoption fee of approx. £200 (UK), average dog charity donation, and initial one-off expenses owning a dog can be costly yet so rewarding.  One-off expenses at the start of your new journey as a dog parent can include an initial vet health check and consultation.  Spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and compulsory microchipping.  Pet licenses if living in Northern Ireland.  If adopting from a dog charity or adopting an older dog (not a puppy) then many of these costs are covered by your adoption fee or may not be required.

Other Doggie Essentials

It is also so important to purchase those must-have doggie essentials such as bowls, beds, toys, carriers, crates, leads, harnesses, tags, and collars.   It doesn’t stop there, you will have many ongoing expenses with owning a dog too.  These include food, a good nutritious dog food is important for your dog’s health and wellbeing.  Pet Insurance, a lifesaver if your dog requires any medical treatment, helps you cover the costs of medication, operations, or referred consultations.

Annual Vaccinations and health checks.  Replacement toys, yes your dog will get through a fair few toys in its lifetime.  Poop bags, grooming, potty pads, treats, flea and itch prevention, dental chews.  Other costs like dog walkers if you are out working most of the day, and boarding kennels for holidays need to be considered too as they can be expensive.  A dog walker can set you back between £10 to £15 an hour and kennels up to £30 a day in some areas.  Emergency bills, grooming, teeth cleaning….it all adds up.

The total annual cost of owning a dog can vary between £230 and £1740 with additional costs varying between £760 to £2,630 according to The Dog people.