Low Cost Veterinary Care Essay

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The Need for Low Cost Veterinary Care
Having an animal can bring great joy to an individual or a family, however financial difficulties can force many families to give up their animals. The American Kennel Club (AKC) projects the average cost of owning dog at 3085 dollars for the first year. The most expensive part of raising a dog was 650 dollars going towards veterinary care (How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Dog?). For a family or individual with low income or unexpected finances these cost can be the difference between keeping an animal and giving them up to a shelter. Shelters in America are making great strides in adopting out animals, however, according to the ASPCA, there is still 7.6 million companion animals entering shelter each year (Shelter Intake and Surrender), and millions of strays living in the streets (Pet Statistics). To lower the overpopulation of pets in America, shelters need to focus on implementing preventive measures, particular low cost veterinary care programs. Low cost veterinary programs would reduce shelter and stray populations, because they reduce the cost of basic veterinary care, like vaccines and flea and tick medications, help reduce the …show more content…

This is dangerous thinking, because it puts so many animals’ lives on the line. The Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento focuses on keeping the homeless and their animals together. In one case the shelter kept a homeless woman and her pets together, and within a month were able to stable the owner’s finances and find them all a suitable home. As a local advocate for the shelter says, “Some people will say, ‘Well, the homeless shouldn’t have animals.’ Well, whether they should or they shouldn’t, the fact is they do.” So instead trying to incarcerated every homeless individual who has an animal, it’s better to focus on getting the animals and the owner stabilized so they can continue to live

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