PET EXPENSES CUT

The Dog Ate Your Wallet? How to Cut the Costs of Pet Ownership

By Jean Chatzky

In 2012, Americans will spend $52.87 billion on their pets, the American Pet Products Association calculates.

To put that figure in perspective, let's break it down: The average dog owner spends about $248 a year on routine vet visits, $407 on surgical vet visits, $419 on food, treats and vitamins, $274 on boarding, $78 on travel expenses and $73 on grooming.

Add it up, and you get $1,251. That's close to what we spend on electricity to run our homes ($1,413), telephone services ($1,178) or household furnishings ($1,467) each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest Consumer Expenditure Survey.

If you're surprised, you must not own a dog. Or a cat, fish or turtle. Keeping one of these friends under your roof adds up fast. Trust me. I've been to the emergency vet in the middle of the night, and my wallet has the battle scars to prove it.

I don't think there's a pet owner out there who isn't looking to cut costs. Here's how to do it:

• Don't pick a pricey pooch. For some of you, it's too late, so file this away for next time. But if you're in the market for a pet and you're undecided about what to get, remember: As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the animal, the more expensive it is to shelter and care for. So, if your budget is tight, a cat or small dog may be your best bet.

According to APPA's latest survey, cats are cheaper than dogs in nearly every category, including boarding, vitamins, grooming, food and routine vet exams. Large dogs come with large expenses: They cost more to feed. They cost more to board. You may have to pay a heftier pet deposit if you rent, or more in homeowners' insurance if you don't. Consider breed, as well, says Dr. Douglas Aspros, a Westchester, NY-based vet and president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. "It's worthwhile to do a little research and find out what problems the breed you're interested in is prone to. Breeds that have more arthritis, for example, may mean x-rays, anti-inflammatory drugs, even new hips."

• Fido doesn't need the fanciest food. Of the expenses that come with owning an animal, food is one of the biggest. And feeding your pet high-quality food may save you money on medical care down the road. But don't be fooled by shiny packaging and flashy slogans. "It's important to be critical here; some brands spend a lot more money on marketing than they do on the food itself," explains Aspros. Pick one that is made by a manufacturer you trust, and lists animal protein high on the list of ingredients. Then save some cash by clipping coupons and stocking up when the brand your pet likes is on sale. Finally, don't overfeed. It will save you money on food now, and on pricey medical bills due to obesity later.

• Put preventative care in your calendar. This can really cut costs in the long-run. Spay and neuter early on, shell out the cash for necessary vaccines, and subscribe to regular check-ups. And you can save here, too, mainly by calling around and comparing prices among vets. Other tips: Keep an eye on the calendars of local animal organizations -- many host events with free or low-cost shots. And ask your vet if her or she has samples of medications or manufacturer's rebates.

• Consider pet insurance. I like Aspros's rule of thumb: "Pet insurance makes the most sense for people who know that when a problem occurs, they're going to want to do the best thing for their pet, and yet they're going to have a hard time saving enough money to handle that calamity when it happens." In other words, if you would drain your bank account and max out your credit cards to save your pet's life, it's probably worth getting insurance.

• Shear the grooming expenses. When it comes to grooming, it goes without saying that I'm for DIY. Regular brushing will cut down on visits, and when you do visit the groomer, get their fur cut short -- it will take longer to grow out, thus pushing off your next visit. And if you board your dog, it's time to make friends with other pet owners, so you can swap care instead: They watch your pup while you're out of town this summer, you return the favor when they travel for business in the fall.

• Don't buy supplies new. Both Craigslist and yard sales are overflowing with leashes, bowls, collars and other items you need for less.

Dog Killing in Russia

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Moscow police probe suspected mass dog poisoning

A muzzled dog plays in a Moscow park where dozens of dogs were killed in a mass poisoning, in this Thursday Sept. 20, 2012 photo. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

(AP) MOSCOW - Vera Lesovets held up photographs of her dog, Yasha, a spunky 5-year-old corgi, nipping playfully at the heels of a German shepherd twice her size.

But Yasha's life was cut short this week: After snacking on something in a Moscow park, she fell into a seizure at Lesovets' apartment and began foaming at the mouth. The family rushed her to a nearby animal clinic, where the veterinarian said this was the sixth case he had seen that week, and there was nothing he could do.

On Friday police opened a criminal investigation into what they suspect are poisonings by dog killers. Cruelty to animals is common in Russia and animal protection laws are rarely enforced, but reports of as many as 70 dead dogs this week have spurred the police to take action.

While some residents suspected that a vigilante matriarch, wary of her children being bitten, might be the cause of the attacks, Lesovets was quick to suspect a more malicious culprit: dog hunters, a kind of deadly hobby gaining ground in the Russian online community.

Dog hunting forums — the most well-known of which are Vreditelyam.net and Pest.net — are populated by those who call themselves "volunteers" and provide graphic photos of their trophy killings. The sites require extensive registration and identification processes for participants.

"It's a whole community. They have websites," said Lesovets, an event manager. "They write how they kill them, post photographs, tell you which poison is better and where to buy it."

In the case of this neighborhood's dogs, the poison of choice was amanita phalloides, also known as the death cap mushroom, which has no known antidote and is dangerous for both animals and humans.

Before the attacks, the Pyatidesyatiletya Oktyabrya park in southwest Moscow — named to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution — allowed residents to give their dogs a moment's respite from cramped city living and frolic without a leash in the grass or in the snow.

Owners no longer feel safe to do that, as the number of slain dogs keeps growing. Police estimates have ranged from 40 to 70 killings, based on complaints filed by owners. According to the website of one nearby veterinary clinic alone, they had received about 20 cases that week, 14 of them fatal.

The police were first notified of the poisonings early this week and formally opened a criminal investigation on Friday.

Masha Beshina was out walking her dog on Thursday when she discovered some pieces of ham suspiciously scattered in the part of the park where she usually walks her dog.

"Unfortunately the police don't take measures," said the middle-aged teacher. "Because for them a dog is not really something that exists."

Russian law calls for a prison sentence of up to two years for those who kill or abuse animals, but animal rights activists say it has been rarely enforced.

"We need investigative bodies, the police, the courts, the judges to start working," said Darya Khmelnitskaya, director of Virta, a charitable fund for animal welfare. "The legal clause already exists."

She said that one way to target dog killers would be to track IP addresses of the users who spread information about it online or shut down the sites completely. While some of the sites have been closed, information is still easily spread by individuals through websites such as Vkontakte, the largest Russian social network.

According to Khmelnitskaya, only nine cases against dog hunters in Moscow have made it to court since 2011, with just one ending in a conviction.

On the site Vreditelyam.net, now moved to the domain vredy.org, the owners state in their manifesto that they consider themselves keepers of the peace: Since Soviet times, the population of stray dogs, which now reaches an estimate of 25,000 in Moscow alone, has ballooned, and fear of bites and attacks has grown as well.

But just as the population of strays has grown, Muscovites also have long been a friend to many of the shaggy mutts. Dog hunting has touched a nerve in a society where stray animals have traditionally been ignored by the state and instead taken in by big-hearted citizens. One group established on Vkontakte in opposition to the dog hunters has attracted almost 4,000 members.

Most of the local residents said their dogs were former strays found either on the streets or in Moscow's overcrowded, underfunded shelters.

"I took these dogs off the street from homeless people four years ago," said Oleg Maksimov, a middle-aged man who said he works for a construction company.

"How can I wait for someone to poison these dogs, these dogs that I saved from a likely death?"