In our 17 years of marriage Jason and I have owned:
5 dogs
4 cats
2 tortoises
2 turtles
3 lizards
1 snake
a bajillion frogs and fish (Yes, bajillion is a word. No? Well it should be!)

Yes, it’s quite possible we could have been on one of those hoarding shows in the past. But that’s not the point…

Currently we have one dog, Heidi.

Isn’t she a cutie? We also have a cat named Karma and a fish named Lucky Steve. They didn’t want to pose for pictures. Animals! *sheesh*

Raising pets isn’t cheap but it doesn’t have to be too terribly expensive either. Here is the first post in a series of upcoming posts dealing with frugal felines, penny-pinching pooches and tightwad turtles.

Today’s topic has to do with where you get a pet, in short:

Adopt your pet.

I don’t want to get hate mail from this one, but the truth is, there are thousands of animals in shelters waiting for a new home. These animals are sentenced to death if they are not adopted. Not only do you save a life by adopting, you save hundreds of dollars in the process.

We adopted Heidi from animal control during a $25 event that is held every year. While starting the search for a pet we also discovered that the local SPCA often has days where you can adopt a senior pet for just $5. The SPCA recently had an event where cats and kittens could be adopted for no charge. The Humane Society in my county frequently holds “buy one, get one” adoption events and have a $20 adoption fee for any animal if you or your spouse is a veteran.

If you need more reasons to adopt instead of buy check out these facts:

-Most animals in shelters are mixed breeds, which tend to be healthier and live longer.

-Most animals in shelters are already spayed/neutered or the procedure will be included in your adoption cost and performed before you take the animal home.

-Most animals in shelters have already been tested for illness and treated, and most have been fully vaccinated.

One of the biggest complaints I have about adopting vs buying (the only complaint, really) is that sometimes shelters make it very difficult to adopt a pet. I’ve not run into this with government organizations but we were turned down from a lot of rescue organizations. Why? Because we don’t have a fenced in yard.

We don’t have a fence, meaning I’m much more likely to walk my dog instead of letting her outside all day.

We don’t have a fence, meaning I have to keep my dog entertained so she doesn’t tear the house apart instead of letting her outside all day.

We don’t have a fence, meaning I have to keep an eye on my dog to ensure she is safe while outside, instead of letting her outside all day.

But I could go to the store and buy a puppy from a place that keeps their animals in horrid conditions and no one would care if I had a fence.

Do you see where I’m going? My point is, don’t let something like a fence keep you from adopting. There are plenty of organizations out there who will still allow you to adopt, fence or not.

For more information:
The Humane Society of the United States
ASPCA
List of animal shelters in the US & Canada