Thursday, June 19, 2008
McLovin’ has free rein over Paige Hendrick's apartment most days. But when rental agents and maintenance workers stop by, the ferret is relegated to its cage, a stowaway in its own home. Hendrick, Leawood junior, bought McLovin’ because she thought a ferret would be more affordable and convenient than a dog or cat. Although Hendrick's apartment complex forbids ferrets, McLovin’ has gone undetected for months.
The steps Hendrick takes to harbor McLovin’ are small examples of the rigors of pet ownership in a college setting. Students who own animals must pay rent for, feed, and handle veterinary bills for their pets on top of their own personal expenses.
Dr. Marsha Heeb pulls ticks off of Rory, a miniature Australian Shepherd, while his owner Jill Domnick, Lawrence, watches. Heeb said it can be nearly impossible to keep dogs completely tick-free when they have been in heavily infested areas.
“Pet ownership can be expensive,” Jeaneen Hercha, Lawrence Humane Society’s director of animal welfare, said. “Food, litter, and spaying and neutering are necessities. Another cost is pet deposits and having to abide by landlord requirements.”
Angela Schmidt, Grand Forks, N.D., senior, doesn’t have to pay extra rent for her pets now that she lives in a house, but she paid a $300 deposit and a $25 monthly fee to have a cat at her last apartment.
Schmidt said the additional rent was not a problem, but the veterinary bills for her new puppy surprised her.
“The biggest expenses were at the beginning,” Schmidt said. “Getting my dog fixed was the biggest expense, and they do a series of shots in the first few months that take three or four separate visits.”
At the Animal Hospital of Lawrence, 701 Michigan St., puppies receive treatments for bordetella bacteria, fleas, heartworm and rabies. Spaying or neutering included, the veterinary expenses can add up to more than $400 in the first 16 weeks of dog ownership.
Though the price tag early in a pet’s life seems substantial, preventative veterinary work often saves pet owners money in the long run.
“You can’t skip any of the preventative stuff,” William Bayouth, veterinarian at the Animal Hospital of Lawrence, said. “If you miss that, you’re headed for more expensive measures. My advice would be to check with a veterinarian to see how much shots are going to cost before you get the pet.”
Hercha said the Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th St., offered assistance to pet owners who could not afford to have their pets spayed or neutered. Hercha said the program’s waiting list was usually eight or nine pages long.
In addition to footing the bill for initial vaccinations and procedures, pet owners must expand their grocery lists to accommodate for animals.
Dog food runs from very cheap – Kroger costs 33 cents per pound – to extremely expensive: Cesar puppy food costs about 33 cents per ounce.
Cats need litter, dogs need toys and smaller animals need cages and supplies. Added to $25 extra rent fee, monthly pet expenses can stretch past $50 per month. Despite the price tag on their pets, Schmidt and Hendrick both said their investments have paid off.
“Most of the students I see are taking very good care of their pets,” Bayouth said. “The ones I don’t see are the ones who ignore the vet completely, but I think people are generally responsible.”
— Edited by Mandy Earles
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