3 ms·

For me, the most startling part of the article wasn't the insane lease financing, it was the up front "sticker price". $2,400 for a dog, $1,700 for a cat. I've

by ytjohn 10y ago

For me, the most startling part of the article wasn't the insane lease financing, it was the up front "sticker price". $2,400 for a dog, $1,700 for a cat. I've generally known that some people pay a lot of money to buy a certain type of dog from a breeder, but I was thinking it was more in the mid 3-figure ranges (I think I've seen ads for dogs around $400 - $600). I have considered that a ridiculously expensive price. I'm speaking someone who makes pretty good money, owns two houses, three vehicles (for two adults). But seeing that people pay thousands for a pet. It's like this whole other world of exorbitance. They're not paying for a pet, they're paying for something to brag about. > A good breeder will also want to keep track of the pup and will also offer you a contract to protect you both and make sure your dog is healthy or will explain its conditions. Bulldogs are very special dogs and people who own them are just as special. [1] Generally, if you go to a pound/rescue, your costs will be around $100, most of which are to pay for things like de-worming and stuff you would incur in a visit to the veterinarian. 1: https://www.suburbanbullies.com/whydobulldogscostsomuch.html https://www.suburbanbullies.com/whydobulldogscostsomuch.html

Bluestrike2 10y ago
It depends on the breed and what you're looking for. My parents have always been huge dog people, and they've had a number of dogs over the year. Some were from registered breeders; others were rescue dogs, including two that they rescued. One was a wonderful dog whose bastard owners tossed him out of car going 30 miles an hour on a highway where one of their employees saw it and brought him to their workplace. At the other end of the scale, they paid something like $1500 and $1000, respectively, for mother and son Cavalier King Charles Spaniels from a licensed breeder a good ~18 years ago. The price would be higher nowadays. An Alaskan Klee Kai (think small dog resembling a Siberian Husky, but responsibly bred and without the ethical and health problems of a so-called 'Pomsky') will run a good $2-3000. Is it worth it? Again, it depends on what you're looking for and whether you're able to afford the dog in question. People purchase particular purebred dogs for a lot of reasons; there's a far greater degree of predictability when it comes to genetic risks, life span, size, temperament, etc. due to a lot of collective knowledge. Reputable breeders socialize their dogs from the beginning, provide care, and they usually have already started the training process well before it's time for placement. With rescues or mixes in general, there are more unknowns though good shelters do their best to isolate those unknowns and help find the right home based on what they do know about the dog's background and have observed regarding its temperament. The unknowns might be scary at times, but it doesn't make the dog lesser. I'm typing this with a rescued mixed-breed terrier sitting beside me. What really pisses me off about this story is the cruelty of the threat of repossessing an animal for both the animal and the family. No dog deserves to be ripped from a loving home and tossed into a shelter (even a good one); or worse, a pet store. Especially the kind that would suggest a freaking lease to a potential pet owner. It fits right in with the worst excesses of puppy mills. Plus, I have my doubts about the quality of care a company like this would provide to repossessed animals. It seems more like a disgusting effort to cash in on spur of the moment purchases, taking advantage of a lack of knowledge about both the finance agreement and owning a pet in general. Wunderlich even admits as much in the article: "We like niches where we’re dealing with emotional borrowers." If you can't afford to pay cash to adopt the pet, or use a credit card you can pay off quickly without negatively affecting your overall finances, you shouldn't jump on long-term financing or this lease BS as an alternative. It isn't a smart option, financially or emotionally. There are a ton of wonderful rescues of all sorts who can be adopted at very minimal cost. You have the added benefit of supporting some very respectable organizations that often struggle to fund their operations. And if you're looking for a particular breed of dog, there are often purebred rescue organizations that focus on specific breeds and often work closely with their respective breed clubs.

by ytjohn 10y ago

Bluestrike2 10y ago

It depends on the breed and what you're looking for. My parents have always been huge dog people, and they've had a number of dogs over the year. Some were from registered breeders; others were rescue dogs, including two that they rescued. One was a wonderful dog whose bastard owners tossed him out of car going 30 miles an hour on a highway where one of their employees saw it and brought him to their workplace. At the other end of the scale, they paid something like $1500 and $1000, respectively, for mother and son Cavalier King Charles Spaniels from a licensed breeder a good ~18 years ago. The price would be higher nowadays. An Alaskan Klee Kai (think small dog resembling a Siberian Husky, but responsibly bred and without the ethical and health problems of a so-called 'Pomsky') will run a good $2-3000. Is it worth it? Again, it depends on what you're looking for and whether you're able to afford the dog in question. People purchase particular purebred dogs for a lot of reasons; there's a far greater degree of predictability when it comes to genetic risks, life span, size, temperament, etc. due to a lot of collective knowledge. Reputable breeders socialize their dogs from the beginning, provide care, and they usually have already started the training process well before it's time for placement. With rescues or mixes in general, there are more unknowns though good shelters do their best to isolate those unknowns and help find the right home based on what they do know about the dog's background and have observed regarding its temperament. The unknowns might be scary at times, but it doesn't make the dog lesser. I'm typing this with a rescued mixed-breed terrier sitting beside me. What really pisses me off about this story is the cruelty of the threat of repossessing an animal for both the animal and the family. No dog deserves to be ripped from a loving home and tossed into a shelter (even a good one); or worse, a pet store. Especially the kind that would suggest a freaking lease to a potential pet owner. It fits right in with the worst excesses of puppy mills. Plus, I have my doubts about the quality of care a company like this would provide to repossessed animals. It seems more like a disgusting effort to cash in on spur of the moment purchases, taking advantage of a lack of knowledge about both the finance agreement and owning a pet in general. Wunderlich even admits as much in the article: "We like niches where we’re dealing with emotional borrowers." If you can't afford to pay cash to adopt the pet, or use a credit card you can pay off quickly without negatively affecting your overall finances, you shouldn't jump on long-term financing or this lease BS as an alternative. It isn't a smart option, financially or emotionally. There are a ton of wonderful rescues of all sorts who can be adopted at very minimal cost. You have the added benefit of supporting some very respectable organizations that often struggle to fund their operations. And if you're looking for a particular breed of dog, there are often purebred rescue organizations that focus on specific breeds and often work closely with their respective breed clubs.