PET COSTS & CAVEATS

■ PLAN FOR VET BILLS

“Vet costs catch people off guard,” said Becky Bristow of Dogs Trust Ireland.

“Dogs for example need regular worming and regular vaccines. And things go wrong in a dog’s life [such as broken legs and so on].”

It’s very important to get a dog or cat neutered or spayed. It could cost €200 to neuter a dog and around €100 to neuter a cat, depending on the vet. Vaccinations will typically set you back around €100 or more in the first year of a dog or cat’s life — and your pet will normally need an annual booster thereafter too. Other costs include fees for having your pet looked after while you’re on holiday — such as in a boarding kennel or cattery. You may wish to buy pet insurance to cover you for any unexpected and large vet bills, or the theft of your pet. Annual pet insurance for a dog could cost around €200 while you could pay €100 for cover for a cat. Understand exactly what your pet insurance covers — your pet may not be covered if it’s too young or old or of a certain breed.

■ SECURE YOUR PET

Be careful to secure your pet if you have a pedigree dog of breeding age — which is typically up to five years of age. “Thieves are stealing dogs to breed from them — they could get five or six puppies from a dog and each puppy could be worth €2,000,” said Bristow. “The dogs you have to be mindful of are the obvious pedigree dogs — such as Cocker Spaniels, Yorkshire Terriers and Labradors.” Keep your dog in a secure garden (if it’s an outdoor pet) and don’t put your dog’s name on its tag as a dog will usually respond to its name — making it easier for a thief to capture it. One of the best ways to secure your dog is to neuter it, advised Bristow. “It’s obvious when a male dog is neutered but you can’t tell if a female dog is neutered,” said

Bristow. “Have a tag on the dog saying that it’s neutered.” The same neutering advice applies to cats — as popular cats are often stolen for breeding. By law, all dogs must be microchipped in Ireland. “Keep your microchip number, registration and address up-to-date,” said Bristow. “Have photos of you with your dog so you can prove it’s yours if it goes missing.”

■ RESCUE PET

Don’t overlook rescue centres when sourcing a pet though understand that a rescue pet may not be suitable for, or able to adjust to, your home if he has been abandoned or mistreated — particularly if you have young children in the home.

■ ‘HYPOALLERGENIC’

“People are paying a lot of money for so-called hypoallergenic dogs,” said Bristow. “There are some dogs, such as poodles, which shed less hair than other dogs but there’s no such thing as a hyperallergenic dog.So if you have a concern about allergies in the house, borrow a dog first.”