The perceptions towards those who are low income dog owners...



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Member Since
Barked: Sat Apr 17, '10 9:21pm PST 
I know they're not dogs.
But until recently (august) my family was really, really, really, low income. My mum and brother didn't do anything, I was too young to have an 'official' job, so I cleaned houses and got paid under the table (I was 14 at the time). I also had 4 cats, taken in as strays, one was a kitten from one. At the time I didn't know of good cat food, I just thought cat food was all the same. They were fed Meow Mix or Wiskas. I may have not made much (about $700 a month) but my cats were ALWAYS fed before myself. And I know I treated them so much better than my rich friends treated their pets. I played with them, taught them to heel behind me, took them places with me, ect..
Then all of that paid off and my family inherited a few million, my cats are fed a good food (California Naturals, Innova as a treat), and spoiled to high heaven. And I will get a dog and treat him like my king. hug
I know I would have never been able to get up every morning and deal with people, dust, and cleaning supplies if they weren't there to remind me I had to take care of them.

That was too long.

bunnies - YAY!!!
Barked: Sun Apr 18, '10 10:05am PST 
i have to say that everyone on here would probably bash us for getting knox. however, not a one of us could bear it if he went to a different home. my dad is temporarily out of work (will be going back in about a month), i am essentially broke & am looking for a job with no success b/c 2 large factories have just closed down. however, we are working with it and he may have to eat a 'bad' kibble for a couple months & his checkup will have to wait. however, i know that he is currently healthy and luckily he came with quite a bit of stuff so i don't have to worry about toys/ear cleaner/crate/etc. however, the extreme joy he has brought to this house in just 2 days is unimaginable. we had been pining for him for about 6 months and it is a dream come true that we can keep him. while we may not be able to give him top-of-the-line immediately, there isn't another home that could give him more love & attention than we are.

I have no off- switch
Barked: Sun Apr 18, '10 1:47pm PST 
Well I make 10,000 per year. I have a cat and a dog and my grannies dog is half mine (cause I spoil her). Lots of people including my vet told me because im *poor* I should get rid of him and give him to someone who will put the money into the things the vet wants like vaccines, HW preventative, Flea, Allergy testing, X-rays and the whole bit. I dont do flea, HW or vaccines. My local law says rabies must be givin every 3 years and whats what it will be.

Many people say because I cant afford to pay for anything that may come up with my dog that I shouldnt own one. My dog and cat is fed before me and is fed better than me. He gets toys, treats, new stuff when needed and vet care when needed. He comes before ME, then after I buy what I need for him thats month I will pay my bills then the leftover is mine.

My one friend makes over 75K a year not including bonuses or money from his second under the table job. He has two dogs, ones a 3 year old 50lb mutt, the other is a 2 year old Mastiff. None of his dogs are brought inside, they are fed No Name brand dog food, no treats, never seen a vet, his one has fly swat on his ears and he wont take him to the vet. He has LOTS of money as he isnt a bog spender, hes a hoarder. I know this based on the house he has is mid grade like mine, he drives a 1999 Honda....

So there are lots of people who have money that could care less about their dogs, and there are people on low income who love their dogs, its not just low incomes that dont treat their dogs fairly. It could be anyone. Ive met lots of welthy people who treat their animals like Kings and I have met low income people who treat their dogs like grabage.

I get extremley offended when someone asks me why i cannot afford something, i tell them why and they automatically say "well you should give your dog away". I do the best I can with what I have but my dog and cat will always come first.

I owe money to a credit card. Before I become disabled I was able to pay it off no issues. Then I called them to tell them I was recieving disability etc. They highered my interest rate and when I didnt give them the amount they wanted they would call me and heres how the convo went with one lady one day.

Lady- Hi you owe us X amount and payd us X amount why arent you paying us

Me- being polite I told them I had an unexpected vet bill come up that I put that money towards plus im on disability which you were told before

Lady- ummm Ms. (last name) your bills should come before your dog, if you cant afford your dog get rid of it

Me- (patience running thin)...umm lady, perhaps you should keep your nose where it belongs, my dog will always come before YOU..ALWAYS..get it?

Lady- you should be responsible and pay your bills, you better or we will sue you

Me- Good luck with that smile, call me again and you are rude you will find my number changed

Lady- and we will find ur number again

Hung Up

Next day she called and started being rude again telling me how she thinks my priorities should go. I changed my number and its been almost 2 months lol.

Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae
Barked: Sun Apr 18, '10 4:04pm PST 
I must say that have to count my blessings. My dogs do get heartworm prevention year round and flea and tick prevention in the summer. When Sallie Mae was throwing up really bad--and I was feeling really bad due to all the vet bills after her visit, an elderly gentleman walked in. The vet was packed with dogs and their owners--as it always is. He looked around and came up to us and asked what my dog's name was. I told him, and he took 12 heartguard out of his pocket while looking at Sallie Mae. He had tears in his eyes and asked me if she was on heartworm prevention. I told him yes--and he gave them to me, explaining that his elderly dog had passed away, and he wouldn't be needing them. I held back my tears and asked him if he planned on getting another dog. He said yes--but he was going to give it a month or so, and then it would take quite some time to grow to her size. I hugged him and told him how sorry I was about his dog and asked it's name. He said "angel", and truthfully that was exactly what he was for me that particular day. She was going to be out of it and it was coming due the next week, the money I had available was just used up to pay her vet bill, and change her food. I often find that if you do all you can for others--it all somehow works out in the end. I hope never to have to stop the preventative care, as I have adopted heartworm positive dogs in my lifetime, and had to see them suffer. I live in the south, where mosquitoes are horrible--it may not be that bad where you live, but I will continue to try and afford heartguard for my 3 as long as I can. I, also realize how expensive it is--and will not preach to anyone who does not give it to their dogs for that reason.

Wonder pup in- the making.
Barked: Sun Apr 18, '10 8:35pm PST 
I am low income but my dogs get all they need before my needs are met. The order in this house is :
1) Human kids needs
2) Dogs needs
3) My needs.

My dogs always get flea/heartworm treatment. They have regular vet checks and shots, and trips to the groomer when needed. I know those bills come up once a year and budget for them. If an emergency comes up I use a credit card and pay it off bit by bit. Having two dogs does mean that I have to give up some other things but it is worth it for me and the kids. Before we got the dogs we sat down as a family and choose what we would give up to have them. It's really all about budgeting for us.

Just like others have posted. I don't think it is always the income lvl that makes you a good dog owner. It is all about what you are willing to put into owning a dog. There are many bad dog owners that can afford more than what they do spend on their pets, but choose not to.
Marlowe, RN,- CGC

Seize life by- the big stick!
Barked: Mon Apr 19, '10 1:31pm PST 
I've seen homeless people that take better care of their dogs than people that make six figures, so income level doesn't matter as much as love and dedication.

I think the attitude you see comes from the larger problem of a uniquely American philosophy that people are poor because they are lazy, stupid, or a combination of both. In other words, people that are rich deserve to be rich because they are a superior class of human. Poor people deserve to be poor because they are an inferior class of human. And certainly, they don't deserve the loving companionship of a pet as much as rich people. shrug

Anyone who has ever struggled financially knows that those of us on limited income are rarely stupid or lazy. We've just been handed the short end of the stick by people who were born on third base and think they hit a triple. I won't get into the politics on here, but it's a problem that goes way beyond the hoity-toities that look down on you for what dog food you feed. They're just a symptom.

Ruler of the- Lazy Life
Barked: Mon Apr 19, '10 8:14pm PST 
I make $250 every two weeks plus tips. I'm poor, I'm completely aware of it. I rescued my dog from a horrible situation, and immediately put him on heartworm preventative, even though it was too late because he was positive. He's currently in the middle of treatment, it's going to cost me $600 all together because I go to a low cost vet. I'm using my income tax check to pay for it. I may not make a lot of money, but Pabst is the best friend I could ever ask for, and I will do whatever it takes for him to have a good life. Not having nice clothes or things is fine with me if it means my little guy is going to be healthy and happy again. He gives me unconditional love, and that's the best 'payment' ever.
Lily and- Moira

Happy Birthday- to us!!!!
Barked: Mon Apr 19, '10 9:15pm PST 
I have two dogs on a retirement pension. One should have been enough, but Lily needed Moira. I budget carefully so the dogs can have everything they need, but few extras. They are happy without a bunch of excess money spent on them. I do worry about a large vet bill, but can only hope and pray these two stay healthy.

L & M eat upper mid grade kibble for breakfast and raw for dinner. I used to take grief on the raw forum for not feeding them 100% raw, but I think most regular posters have given up trying to convince me it wouldn't cost any more. I know to the penny what their food costs and for me, it would. I also get tired of people pushing the high dollar kibbles and high shipping. Plus titering dogs rather than vaccinating every three years. I could on, but we all get the picture.

That being said, I do enjoy the time I spend on Dogster. I have learned so much. My dogs are the reason I get up in the morning - my children have their own lives, as they should. I owe my furgirls the best life I can give them without breaking the bank.
Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae
Barked: Mon Apr 19, '10 11:15pm PST 
I just sent everyone not already on my list a ppr. Let's have some fun!!!

I am the Sock- Bandit!!!
Barked: Tue Apr 20, '10 12:52pm PST 
I hear you. Poor people shouldn't have children, either. They should just be resigned to their sad lonely, lives all because they don't have any money.../sarcasm

Another poster got it absolutely right. In America, there is this myth that all you have to do is work hard and you'll get rich (yeah, I wish). So there's this attitude that all poor people are just lazy and ignorant, and rich people are just some how better.

Spending tons of money on pets is just another status symbol. Those that want status, want to lord something over others, and now the trendy thing seems to be pointing out how much they spend on their pets vs. the 'lazy poor ppl.' I think of the diamond collars I've seen that are almost a hundred years old...It's like saying "Look, I'm so damn rich I can put something on my dog that costs more than you make in a whole year!"

You deserve to have a happy life...and so does your furry companion. If you do the best you can by them, no one has a right to criticize you. Tell them to pound sand.
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