The Next Dark Age
We're in it Now
What Would You Pay?
Back when I was researching adoptable dogs, I came across one that I thought was a good fit. But when I read the adoption application for that particular rescue group, it asked some questions that irritated me. One was something like:
“How much money are you willing to spend for the medical care of your pet?”
Well. I had just spent a not-even-small fortune caring for a beloved pet in his last months. Perhaps it was because of my emotional state, but I was offended.
I know why they ask the question. They want to make sure that the first time there is an illness, the dog doesn’t end up back in a shelter (or worse) because the adopter won’t accept the expense.
I was still offended.
Interestingly, the question came up at my office today:
“Would you pay $3,000 for a surgery for your dog?”
“Um…yes. I have, actually,” was my response.
The debate started because a colleague had recently made that decision – surgery to repair the blown ACL on a large 4 1/2 year old dog.
The debate was impressive. The responses were everywhere from “No way” to “Absolutely” and everything in between.
“How old is the dog?”
“Is it life-or-death surgery?”
“Are there any other alternatives?”
It went on for awhile.
The end of the story is the best: said colleague returned home after deciding to go ahead with the surgery. He found his three children had set up a lemonade stand in the front yard with a sign:
“Our Dog Needs Surgery”
If that wasn’t enough, the dog was in the yard with them. After they closed up shop, they handed their dad the $39 and change they had earned that day.
I feel like handing him some cash myself.
The Next Dark Age 
Sometimes it's not even about how much one would pay, but what you would put the pet through. My mom had a cat that got chemo, and he suffered and died in the end anyway. But he was 4 years old, and they didn't know what would happen. I have seen people bring a cat back to the shelter because of some illness, and also some cats who have lost a limb due to not being treated quickly enough. I don't know if there is a way for adoption agencies to ascertain how responsible someone actually is, but I'd understand why the question might rankle.