Dogs: Our $800 million love affair
Luxury online pet gear seller Animal Outfitters has estimated the annual cost of owning a dog at $1150 to $8260.
At the top end, the cost is similar to that of running a small or mid-sized car.
Owning a furry friend is one of life’s great pleasures, but Lillian Richmond from Animal Outfitters worried that some people went doggie-shopping without working out whether they could afford to be a responsible pet owner.
That’s why she and business partner Michael Terry decided to price out the costs.
‘‘As you get towards Christmas time people think about buying pets, and they don’t always really think about all the costs that come along with them,’’ Richmond said.
‘‘We tried to look at it rationally. Before you take that decision to bring home that beautiful puppy, are you going to be able to afford it?’’
While all dog expenditure is repaid to the owners with love, scaling up the costs over a 10- to 13-year dog lifespan could result in a lifetime ownership cost of anywhere from $12,650 to $111,300, though that huge figure includes optional extras such as daily doggy daycare and professional grooming.
‘‘We’ve had quite a lot of feedback, but one thing that struck me was that our numbers were probably a bit light,’’ said Richmond, who owns a miniature schnauzer called Rio.
They estimate doggie start-up costs (buying the dog, desexing and microchipping it, and setting up your home for it) range from $1150 to $3950 depending on the breed of dog.
Then, each year, owners could expect to spend between $1150 and $1820, Richmond and Terry estimated.
It’s a wide range because different owners spent more or less on food, treats and ‘‘accessories’’.
The estimate included $120 for one illness-related visit to the vet.
‘‘Some people would see some of these things as optional extras, like vaccinations or taking the dog to the vet,’’ Richmond said.
‘‘From our point of view, if you are going to be a responsible dog owner there are some costs you should budget for.’’
Annual costs rose if an owner splashed out for ‘‘optional extras’’ like doggie daycare (add $5500 a year), insurance (add $200), holiday care (add $500) and professional grooming (add $240).
The annual national spend on dogs is massive.
There are more than 550,000 registered dogs in the country, so if Animal Outfitters’ estimate is correct, the total bill would add up to somewhere between $630 million and $1 billion.
The Animal Companion Council’s 2016 report on the costs of pets said dog owners spent just short of $800m on their furry companions.
The average spend per dog, per year, was about $1200, it said.
The council is keen that people do not come to see pets as the privilege of the wealthy.