Don’t get a dog due to coronavirus unless you’ve counted the cost

WASHINGTON » You’re home now — all the time — or stuck indoors with children. Everyone is tired of watching

TV and TikTok videos all day.

So, you think, now’s the time to get a dog or cat. Maybe even rescue a pet from a shelter. Perhaps a four-legged friend could relieve the stress of dealing with coronavirus.

Stop. Think carefully about this decision and how it will impact your budget once life returns to normal — and it will one day. Don’t let this be an emotional purchase — an impulse adoption. Do the math first. Ask yourself: Can I afford a pet?

Recently, Google Trends tweeted, “We have never been so interested in pets: Search interest in both Dog and Cat reached an alltime high Worldwide (and dogs win).” Google also noted that the search term “foster a dog near me” reached an all-time high in the United States.

Many families may be considering getting a dog or cat to help with the boredom, or as motivation to get out of the house for daily walks.

However, they may not be factoring in the financial responsibility: food, grooming, veterinary costs, pet insurance, boarding during vacations (whenever we get to take them again), and all the pet toys you’ll want to buy.

As a country, we spent a record-breaking $95.7 billion in 2019 on pet services and products, according to the American Pet Products Association. Vet care and products added up to $29.3 billion. Pet food and treats cost $36.9 billion.

I’m well aware of the perils of getting a pet under duress. Following the death of my fatherin-law, who had been living with us, I gave into my children’s plea for a dog. I had been the holdout because I worried I would

It’s essential to take into account how much of your budget will go toward caring for your pet. Don’t underestimate the annual expenses.

be left with the heavy lifting of poop pick-up and all the other responsibilities that come with owning a dog. I wasn’t sure I wanted to add that expense to our budget. But my grief overcame my misgivings.

Sure enough, the expenses started to accumulate. At one point, Simba, our 11-pound terrier mix, became sluggish and wouldn’t eat. My husband jokingly said, “He just needs to eat some grass.” It turns out Simba had a bowel blockage that cost more than $400 to treat, not including the medication. He’s had an ear infection. There are regular grooming expenses. One summer, we got an infestation of fleas, even though I was meticulous about washing Simba’s bedding. We had to call in a pest control company.

Pet ownership can be a wonderful experience, especially if you’re rescuing an animal. But I would hate for people to buy or adopt a pet only to find out later they can’t afford to keep it.

Or what if you realize, once our collective coronavirus pause is over, that you don’t have enough time to spend with your dog? You’re home all day now, so you can play fetch for hours. But once you resume the all-consuming schedule you had before the COVID-19 pandemic, will Pepper or Rusty end up tearing up your home for lack of activity?

It’s essential to take into account how much of your budget will go toward caring for your pet. Don’t underestimate the annual expenses. Here are three questions I ask potential pet owners.

• Do you have an emergency fund? If you can’t afford to have a cash cushion for yourself — at least a month or two — why would you add another financial responsibility to your budget? What would you do if your pet became seriously ill, and you faced a huge vet bill? You need a personal rainy-day fund, and another one for your pet, or at least pet insurance. • If you have children, are you saving for their college education? Sure, annual expenses for a dog or cat are considerably less than college tuition. But every dollar you save for college is one less dollar you or your child will have to borrow. Your dog won’t pay your bills in your old age. Your debtfree child might. • Are you saving enough for retirement? You have to make this a priority. You may argue that you can’t put a price on the joy of pet ownership. I would counter-argue that the luxury and privilege of pet ownership should come after you’ve made sure your finances are in order. You certainly can get away with spending less on your pet, but proper care and feeding add up. Don’t let the stress of being shut in now lead to a financial decision that you can’t afford later.

Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1301 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle.singletary@ washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter (@ SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/ MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer’s name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.