Why would people pay $$$ thousands for a pet?

[jenluckenbach]

Please, don't go taking this all personal, I really would like to hear peoples' opinions, but why would anyone pay thousands of dollars for a pet when others need to die every day because there is no one to love them?

Some breeds are so much more expensive than others and these are the ones that I am speaking of.

I mean, if you have an extra $3,000 to $4,000 to spend on a pet, why not buy or adopt a lesser expensive pet and then a whole lot of "goodies"?

How can one breed be SOOOOOOO much better than another breed that you are willing to pay 10 times as much for it?

Now don't turn this into an all out fight, just state YOUR opinion.

Thank you.

[slick]

I'm with you on this Jen. I just don't understand it.

Recently a couple of coworkers were asking my opinion of getting a dog and of course I gave my usual speech about checking the rescue organizations around town. What did they do??

One spent $800 on a Spaniel puppy and the other one $700 on a Golden Retriever puppy. I just shook my head and walked away, but it's their choice. I don't respect them any less for it. Some people just prefer pedigrees.

Me?? I'll always get a rescue.

[Kfamr]

I'm with you on this, Jen.


I'll NEVER buy from a breeder, UNLESS all of the dogs (or whichever animal) are out of the shelters and rescues.

To me, it's alot more worthwhile to get a rescue or a shelter dog and bring them out of their shell. It's ALOT more work and patients, but it always pays off in the end.

Of course, animals coming from breeders need homes too -- but they wouldn't if people would stop breeding.

[binka_nugget]

I don't really get why people would pay such high amounts for their 'perfect breed'. I think there's more than one suitable breed for each person. For example, shelties are perfect for us but a collie, german shepherd, border collie, aussie, etc would work just as nicely in our house. Of course, I don't regret getting Kai from a breeder but I'm just as glad that we rescued Kaedyn.

[cocker_luva]

i wouldnt, unless it was a big pet. like a horse or something. :rolleyes:

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Kfamr
I'm with you on this, Jen.

I'll NEVER buy from a breeder, UNLESS all of the dogs (or whichever animal) are out of the shelters and rescues.

Of course, animals coming from breeders need homes too -- but they wouldn't if people would stop breeding.

What do you make of breeders such as myself than?

[Lixx]

It's hard to say. I would pay thousands of dollars if the animal was right for me and I could afford it at the time. While rescues need homes (and I do rescue myself), I also would hate to loose the individual breeds that are out there (of any animal species). I love German Shepherds, and would like to own a purebred one someday. Because of status? no. Because I can? no. Because I love the look, the feel, the personality and the devotion of the breed. Could I not find that in a "rescue"? Sure, and there are purebred rescues out there and if I met the right one I would take it. But with "mixed" breeds it can be alot harder to find what you're looking for. Don't get me wrong, I love Dante ( my mix breed) and when I met him I knew he was perfect matchfor me , but by going to a breed/breeder you have a much greater chance of finding what you are looking for. Example: When we picked up Dante he was supposed to stay small - between 20-30lbs. He's now 45lbs and still growing. Luckily, we've since moved and have more room. But what if he out grew my home and I had to give him up?

Sorry to ramble, but does that make sense?

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I look at it this way--if we didn't have any breeders in the world, (meaning responsible) then the breeds (or any animal) that we love wouldn't exsist.

Both of my dogs were from breeders. Do I regret it? NO. When I'm older, financially stable, etc., I will buy from responsible breeders, and possibly rescue/adopt from the shelter.

I do not in any way, "prefer" purebreds. I know mutts make great pets (I've had a few) and it's just my opinion. :) If there was a dog that I was absolutely in love with and it was a lot of money, I would come up with a way to pay for it.

But that's just how I am. :)

[Felicia's Mom]

My vote was because I can;

In my case, I wanted to own a at least one purebred cat in my life. But he did not cost thousands of $$$s.

If I were to spend many thousands of dollars on an animal, I would buy a racing thoroughbred horse. I am far from being able to do that

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by luckies4me
What do you make of breeders such as myself than?

What do you mean by that?

[zippy-kat]

Quite frankly, it depends on the animal.

For a horse? Sure, 3000-4000 is nothing for a one that has had good training -- and that excludes the breeding/background factor. (Some 1/2 breeds are able to be registered (ex. Morabs, Quarabs, etc) so they tend to be higher in price.) With horses, you get what you pay for.

Yes, there are horse rescues but sometimes the organizations don't have the resources to train foals...or the horses are only for limited/light riding... or are completely un-rideable (pasture pal only). This isn't pracitcal for the novice-intermediate rider who doesn't want/know how to train and/or needs a horse that can and will continue to meet their riding abilities.

I am in no way knocking horse rescues -- it's just that they may not have a horse suitable for everyone.


For a hedgie, rabbit, guniea pig, etc? No, thanks. And, yes I would have to either buy from a pet shop or buy from a breeder as there are not any rescues in the area.

For a cat? No, thanks. I'll stick to the strays and/or the pound.

For a dog? No, I wouldn't pay in the 1000s -- in the 100s, maybe. If in search of a particular breed, I would check rescues/pound first but if I didn't *click* with any of the animals then, yes, I would go to a breeder.


In this area, there are very little rescues of any kind; I think that's another thing to consider. If in search of a particular breed, what resources/avenues are available to you?


Lastly, I haven't voted because I don't see a selection that fits my answer. "Because I can" sounds a bit haughty as it depends on the animal in question. "The breed is perfect for me" doesn't consider some factors that make an animal $$$ even though it could be of mixed breeding. If there were an option for "Other" or "It depends on the animal," that's where my vote would be placed.

[Cheshirekatt]

You got me. I have no idea.

There's a girl at work that just paid $1,500 each for two english bulldog pups! It's all I can do to not slap her.

This is one of the reasons Chris and I have been waiting two years for a bloodhound to cross our path. We toyed with the idea to purchasing a pup but when it came down to it we just couldn't. Not with millions of dogs being killed every just because there aren't enough homes for them. So we decided to wiat as long as it took for a rescue to come along. :D

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Kfamr
What do you mean by that?

I want to know what you think of small animal breeders such as myself. Rat breeders etc. and how you feel about me breeding my rats.

[popcornbird]

For a dog or cat, I think rescuing is the best option.................but for a bird, if you want a larger parrot, like a cockatoo, african grey, macaw, etc. you would have to pay $1000, $2000, or even more when buying from a pet store, OR a breeder. I would definitely pay that much for such a bird if I could afford it, because getting a bird from a shelter could mean feather plucking, or other serious problems that are hard to deal with. I would love to rescue, but I would prefer getting a bird from a breeder, as a baby, so it gets attached to me right from the start. I would pay that much for such a bird, because that's how much they cost..........everywhere (and because I WANT ONE!!). :p I think it really depends on the type of animal.

[luckies4me]

I never actually answered the question. I would never pay 1,000 dollars for any animal unless it was a serval or Ocelot to start a Federal Breeding Program for Endagered Species, which is one of my goals in life.

For a dog, no. A cat, no. A bird, possibly. Any other animal, no. I can find just as good of a dog from a shelter, or rescue. I may think of buying a purebred dog if I wanted to get involved in showing, or a purebred cat for the same reasons.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by luckies4me
I want to know what you think of small animal breeders such as myself. Rat breeders etc. and how you feel about me breeding my rats.

Um....To be honest, I really don't care.

There's not that many unwanted rats or small animals. Yes, there's a few -- but not as many as there are dogs and cats.

I still haven't found a rat in a shelter near me, and I don't know of any rescues for rats. More than likely if/when I do get a rat and I can't find one in the shelter I will get from a breeder. Again, that's ONLY if I can't find it in the shelter.


IMO, it's much more different for small animals than it is for dogs and cats. Atleast in my area it is, i'm not sure aobut everywhere else.

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Kfamr
Um....To be honest, I really don't care.

There's not that many unwanted rats or small animals. Yes, there's a few -- but not as many as there are dogs and cats.

I still haven't found a rat in a shelter near me, and I don't know of any rescues for rats. More than likely if/when I do get a rat and I can't find one in the shelter I will get from a breeder. Again, that's ONLY if I can't find it in the shelter.

It is VERY rare for me to tell someone to go to a shelter for a rat. That reason being? Most of the time the animal is too hard to handle and often ends back up at the shelter VERY quickly. I only recommend someone going to a shelter for a rat IF they have years of experience with rats and have had them in the past, and they really have the money to care for the rat. They can be more expensive to care for then a dog or cat. Honey's estimated dollar amount for her emergency spay and treatment is about 500 dollars. Most times, these rats can be very agressive and just too much for a first time owner to handle, unless the rats are young. In any case I recommend a shelter before a breeder if the rats are young, and healthy. Rats can just be so much of a heartache to people, and most do not want to own a rat who has several problems and who is going to die from Myco in just two short months. So I am torn between this regarding rats.

But if you ever want one, you can get one from me. ;)

[wolflady]

I voted I would Not. I do think it depends on the kind of pet though. Horses and birds are expensive and if people want those kinds of pets, they will have to pay more. For cats and dogs, however, I think some of those prices can just be outrageous! I can't imagine spending that much on a cat or dog, and nor would I ever. Working at the hospital has really opened my eyes to the world of purebreeds, and paying so much money for an animal with potentially so many problems is just incredulous. Although, most of the animals with problems that come in are "purebred" dogs from puppymills. Aka pet store dogs. I swear, everytime I answer the phone and a person says "I just bought a new puppy and it is coughing and has bloody diarrhea"....I know right away where that puppy came from. :rolleyes: The petstores put these insane prices on these dogs and *most* of them have so many problems. I can't believe that people actually pay $1500 and up for puppymill dogs around here, when they can get the same kind of animal from rescue for a couple hundred dollars!! :eek: Man, do I have some interesting stories from the hospital! ;) LOL
Just seeing the amount of purebred animals that come into our hospital with problems has really lessened my taste for them. When I first started working at the hospital, I was amazed at how many purebred animals I saw coming in. Primarily because I've not seen many purebred dogs "in person". So, it was kinda neat at first, until I realized that at least 98% of the animals that come in there are purebred with problems! :eek: The only time I see "mutt" cats and dogs come in is for shots and routine checkups or spay/neuter surgeries. Very rarely is it that these are the ones with major problems and other surgeries. It's the purebreeds that have all the health issues and major surgeries. Strange, isn't it? For me, I will always go to the shelter first, or a rescue if I get the hankering for a purebred animal, but right now, mixed breeds are right for me. Less health issues too! ;)

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Originally posted by wolflady
The petstores put these insane prices on these dogs and *most* of them have so many problems. I can't believe that people actually pay $1500 and up for puppymill dogs around here, when they can get the same kind of animal from rescue for a couple hundred dollars!! :eek:

Sad, isn't it? All Pet Stores care about is making a profit. :(

[lovemyshiba]

Thousands??--no.
Close to a thousand--I have, and I would again.

We decided on a Shiba, and happened upon one that a couple was selling for a friend at a dog show. The price they had given us was less than what we had seen online from any breeders, reason being because he was 8 months old.

I wouldn't trade him for any shiba in a shelter.

We paid $75 for Abbey from a beagle rescue.
Riley was totally free.
Jada was $75 at the spca.

[CathyBogart]

Any Bedlington Terrier I have ever seen in a rescue has Copper Toxicosis. While I feel for thses dogs and hope that they find forever homes, I do NOT have the funds to keep up on the treatment, nor do I wish to go through the emotional nightmare of adopting a dog only to watch it die before my eyes.

Therefore, I have found a great breeder in my state who has an average of two litters available per year. She has offered to get me ona waiting list when Alikkon and I buy a house, and there's an average turnaround of one year. Her puppies cost $1200 and up.

Is it worth it? To me, yes. Her dogs' livers are all quite healthy, and they do not carry the gene for CT. She is an incredible lady...I've checked a list of references she gave me and they were all VERY happy with the health, longevity, and temperament of her dogs. She also runs a boarding kennel and offers obedience classes. What more could I ask for?

I love my rescue dogs....but Star has such horrible separation anxiety, Wilbur has housebreaking issues STILL, and even working with an excellent behaviorist has helped minimally. We also had a rescue cocker who turned out to be a biter.

I want a dog with a good start on life, whi thinks the world is a wonderful place, so that I can hopefully have a dog without all the neuroses. Also, maybe this makes me bad in some people's eyes, but I do want a puppy.

http://clubs.akc.org/btca/images/Precious3.jpg
C'mon now, who could resist that face?? *Melts*

[aly]

I didn't vote because none of the options really apply to me. I will always rescue my animals so I guess I wouldn't pay thousands persay. But if someone was abusing an animal and asked me to pay thousands so I could take the animal, then I would [if I could!].


I would never go to a breeder for an animal, especially since I am in shelters every single day and see the poor homeless animals. I am not knocking breeders or people who buy from breeders, but it is not for me. I respect their decisions and hope they can respect mine. The thing that ruffles my feathers is when people buy from breeders for stupid reasons like they believe those animals are better than shelter animals. That is just NOT THE CASE. No one here has said anything so stupid so I'm not aiming that at anyone. I just hear those comments sometimes and want to scream!!!!!!!!!

[CathyBogart]

I know what you mean aly. I wouldn't trade my two for the world!

[aly]

Wolfchan, I just have to show you this pic of a dog I watched over the holidays. He's a Bedlington/Standard Poodle mix [the gray one]. He is soooo adorable!

http://rescuedpaws.com/tht///sarasimon2.jpg

[CathyBogart]

*Swoon* He's ADORABLE! (You can really see the Bed in his face!) You don't see a lot of Bedlington mixes out there, how did he happen?? :)

[aly]

A woman I know has a friend who bred and showed Standard Poodles. She wanted to broaden her horizons and started breeding Bedlingtons. Supposedly an 18 yr old was left in charge of the dogs one day and a little accident happened with one of her Poodles and her Bedlington. She didn't figure out that they were mixes until a few months after they were born. She had already sold all the pups except one and they had all already been shipped to their homes. She called them all and they actually were all so in love with the pups, they didn't care about the mix. But she couldn't find a home for the last pup, so the woman I know took him.

He has the best temperament ever. He is the most lovey dovey dog. He just stands there with his paws on you and stares at you. If you don't pet him, he'll get closer and closer, hehe!

[ILoveMyAbbyGirl]

I don't regret getting my dog either. If it would have been my choice, we would have gotten a shelter dog or a rescue, but instead we decided on a purebred. It's not my fault, but I love my dog, and I don't regret anything at all.

[Logan]

I voted that I "would not", although I would love to have an English Bulldog puppy one day. So would my husband, but knowing the expense of that breed, and how many others need us so much more, we would probably never bring ourselves to spend that kind of money for a puppy.

Honey and Lilly, my first "puppies", are purebred Golden Retrievers and I don't regret them at all! :) I "bought" them, at a relatively low cost (have learned a lot of valuable lessons about backyard breeders since then), but they are worth thousands to me and my family, for sure. Murphy, our Lab, was the same way for Scott. Our Zipper is probably a purebred Golden, but came to us as a rescue, and now he's ours, and we are his.

Our cats didn't cost anything. They are precious to us too. :) And our birds were purchased, and I probably would have paid more, just knowing how much we love them. But I am not likely to buy an expensive, larger bird, just because they don't suit our lifestyle at all.

[EssTer]

well, actually I don´t know too....Maybe someone is buying pure bred cats and dogs for shows... Humm, But I wouldn´t buy, I´d better take one from shelter....

[Tonya]

Well...I'd adopted every dog that I have ever had in my life. I had hardly any trouble with any of them. Then I paid (I think) $600 for Teddy. No offense to Ted, cause he's a cutie, but he was the worse dog that I ever had. I spent tons of money on dental bills for him because he had some freakish thing called polydontia, he gave me so much heartache with his troubles.

I'm rambling. Sorry.

All I have to say is money doesn't necessarily buy you the perfect dog.

[Kfamr]

Originally posted by Tonya

All I have to say is money doesn't necessarily buy you the perfect dog.


And that's the truth!

Love, Devotion, and LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS (AND LOTS!!!) of patients does though! :D

[FurMomx6]

I didn't vote because none of those fit for me. We have spent over 1k for Rocky & Chloe and don't regret it. They are both English Bulldogs and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I know you all rave on how stupid people are for spending so much on a dog & would like to slap everyone who does, But we loved the breed and knew they would be perfect for us. I wouldn't put off the option of adopting a shelter dog but I also wouldn't just blow off a dog from a breeder. That's all I have to say and I hope you guys wouldn't be so harsh about buying a dog from a breeder.

[Christiansmommy]

As most of you know, Dale is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and he is rare breed, therefore we did spend a pretty penny on him, not multiple thousands, but he was up there in price. We wanted a breed that would be great for our son to grow up with, hang on...play with, and not have to worry about the dog not liking it. Swissies are known for being great with kids...(of course Dale is still a puppy and active and jumpy), but once he settles down, he will be the ultimate dog for Christian to be around. I am sure there are plenty of dogs at shelters we could have adopted, but it is always hard to know,when buying a giant breed dog, what personality comes with it...once Christian is older, we may adopt an adult large breed dog (we like big dogs), maybe even a small one...but right now, we wanted a Swissie, so we got one. Rob may get into carting with Dale too, which this breed is known for, and they make great therapy dogs, (i may end up wanting to do this with Dale, or another dog in the future.)

So, anyway, those were my reasons...i voted for "b/c it is the best breed for me"...

Robyn

I should also mention, that if you go to petfinder.com, you might find one purebred Swissie...but they are rarely, if ever, put into a shelter, if the owner no longer wants the dog, they are to be sent back to the breeder...there is a very tight group of Swissie breeders out there...very few and far between as well...

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by FurMomx6
I didn't vote because none of those fit for me. We have spent over 1k for Rocky & Chloe and don't regret it. They are both English Bulldogs and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I know you all rave on how stupid people are for spending so much on a dog & would like to slap everyone who does, But we loved the breed and knew they would be perfect for us. I wouldn't put off the option of adopting a shelter dog but I also wouldn't just blow off a dog from a breeder. That's all I have to say and I hope you guys wouldn't be so harsh about buying a dog from a breeder.

Well, speaking for myself only obviously .... I have always tried to make a big distinction between a bad breeder (i.e. puppy mill or back yard breeder) and a good, responsible breeder.

I happen to like purebred dogs a lot. I own six purebreds. I have NOTHING AT ALL against responsible breeders of well-bred purebreds. SOMEone has to breed, and of all the possible choices, responsible purebred breeders are far and away the best.

I DESPISE back yard breeders and puppy mills. There surely is a special place in hell for them.

Just wanted to let you know, I am not harsh about ALL breeders, just irresponsible, stupid ones.

:)

[Cheshirekatt]

Originally posted by FurMomx6
I didn't vote because none of those fit for me. We have spent over 1k for Rocky & Chloe and don't regret it. They are both English Bulldogs and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I know you all rave on how stupid people are for spending so much on a dog & would like to slap everyone who does, But we loved the breed and knew they would be perfect for us. I wouldn't put off the option of adopting a shelter dog but I also wouldn't just blow off a dog from a breeder. That's all I have to say and I hope you guys wouldn't be so harsh about buying a dog from a breeder.

My problem with her is that she didn't do any research on this breeder first. She just bought puppies from the first breeder she called who had them when she wanted them. Both of them have cherry eyes and she still paid that much for them. And the advice the breeder gave her is, well.......interesting at best.

I probably should have make that more clear in my original post.

[trayi52]

Twisterdog, I agree with you 100% there! I also have purebred Chihuahuas, and a purebred Rottwieler.

I don't like the puppy mills, seen enough of those to make me sick, and seen backyard breeders that would curl your hair.

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by Cheshirekatt
My problem with her is that she didn't do any research on this breeder first. She just bought puppies from the first breeder she called who had them when she wanted them. Both of them have cherry eyes and she still paid that much for them. And the advice the breeder gave her is, well.......interesting at best.

I probably should have make that more clear in my original post.

Ok, stupid question ... you are talking about the girl you work with, and not FurMomx6, right? LOL I just wanted to clarify that, since they both apparently own two English Bulldogs, and I didn't want feelings to get hurt over a misunderstanding. :)


And, I agree ... if you don't research breeders, and you buy dogs from any old breeder that comes along, your are most certainly part of the problem, and not part of the solution.

[Cheshirekatt]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
Ok, stupid question ... you are talking about the girl you work with, and not FurMomx6, right? LOL I just wanted to clarify that, since they both apparently own two English Bulldogs, and I didn't want feelings to get hurt over a misunderstanding. :)


And, I agree ... if you don't research breeders, and you buy dogs from any old breeder that comes along, your are most certainly part of the problem, and not part of the solution.

Yes, I'm talking about the girl I work with...sorry for any confusion. I don't know FurMomx6 so I'd never dream of making any assumtions about her. :)

[Twisterdog]

Here's a story about purebreds and breeders ... and my sister. ;)

My sister wanted Siberian huskies. She did her research, and decided to buy two puppies. She said, "I've saved enough mutts in my lifetime, I can buy these purebred puppies and not feel bad. I am going to get exactly what I want, and I'm not going to feel bad about paying for them. I've done my part to help." Ok, no problem.

So, I find her a breeder, she picks out the puppies she wants. She wants two blue-eyed, silver and white females. The breeder assures her that is what they will be, and she puts down her deposit. Well, slight disappointment when one of the puppies eyes turn brown. Well, by then my sister is attached to them, and buys her anyway ... although she is a little bummed about not getting "exactly what she wants" after having paid a pretty penny for that right.

Then, at ten months old, one of her puppies has a grand mal seizure that they vet cannot stop. Everything is tried for hours and hours and hours ... finally the dog dies. HUGE heartbreak there.

After a while, my sister goes looking for another Sibe, since Lazer needs a friend. Well, that opened the door to discovering how very many, many, many homeless Sibes there are out there. My sister had not idea. She assumed that because they are a pretty, purebred dog, that they would never end up at a shelter, or on death-row at a pound. Soooo wrong.

Now, my sister runs a small Siberian rescue. She currently has nine dogs, but many, many dozens have found new homes through her. She says that she realizes now that she made a big, big mistake by assuming she had to buy a puppy from a breeder to get "just what she wanted", and didn't end up getting it afterall. She has found exactly the dogs she always wanted now, though ... in her adopted and rescue dogs.

[PayItForward]

I am just thinking of all the good that could be done with that kind of money.

I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars/pounds adopting a pet whilst so many cats die in shelters or wander my neighbourhood homeless.

IMO $2000 could fund rescue/rehome of dozens of cats.

I am not anti-breeders, if they are properly trained in genetics etc of their choose breed etc.

But I wish more people (not PT people) would look at rescue animals first. If they can't find what they want fine - go to the breeders.

[moosmom]

I would NEVER line the pockets of a breeder simply to get a purebred! I have 3 purebreds that are rescues, all from bad breeders. There are PLENTY of purebred rescues out there. Give me a rescue kitty ANYDAY!!!

[trayi52]

As far as kitties go, I have my Grover, and she came out of a trashcan. Okay so my daughter likes to dig in the trash, but look what she found!! My treasure, which was my mothers day present. Best mothers day present I ever got!!

[Cheshirekatt]

Originally posted by trayi52
As far as kitties go, I have my Grover, and she came out of a trashcan. Okay so my daughter likes to dig in the trash, but look what she found!! My treasure, which was my mothers day present. Best mothers day present I ever got!!

I have to agree with you here! I found my sweet Elvis kitty scrounging around in a Taco Bell dumpster and he's the coolest cat around. :)

[trayi52]

Whats that saying? Another persons trash is another persons treasure!!!!