My Kids are Making Me Broke Because They Wanted a Dog They Don’t Take Care Of

Warning — this is a rant about my puppy.

This is not my typical article, but I wanted to share things you should know. You see, we got a new addition to our household three months ago.

If you have a dog or cat, then you’ll understand.

If you have kids, then you’ll understand.

Whether you have a pet or a child, both of them cost money. It’s money you don’t plan for.

Kids get sick, you take them to the doctor, and that costs money.

Your pet needs something from your local PetSmart or pet store, and that costs money.

Kids grow, they need clothes, and that costs money.

Your pet needs a toy to keep them busy, and that costs money.

Kids need something to occupy their time, so you enroll them in a sport, play an instrument, or both. All of this costs money.

Your Veterinarian says your pet needs a shot, and that costs money.

Kids break stuff, and you need to replace it, and that costs money.

Your pet chews on your favorite couch, sneaker, sock, or whatever, and that costs money.

For years, my kids wanted a pet, and finally this year, I gave in.

Before getting a puppy, I let my kids have fish. Fish are simple to take care of, right?

Wrong.

Every few weeks, my son had to change the water in the fish tank. Well, after a while he was doing fine until one day he got lazy. That’s normal for a kid. He did a poor job of changing the water and ended up killing the fish.

That should have been my warning sign right there. But I gave in and said, fine, we can get a puppy.

You would expect your kids would be excited and up in the morning to take care of the dog.

Wrong again.

They don’t like getting up in the morning, so I’m the one who takes the dog out to relieve himself as well as feeds him.

Then when the kids are home, they will barely spend any time with the puppy, so I’m the one who still caters to his needs.

Now that I have taken the puppy to the Veterinarian for the third time for a routine checkup, the bills continue to get larger and larger. I don’t mind, but the latest bill was $140 for his rabies shot. The previous bill was $40.

In the first month, I easily spent $400 or $500 on the puppy. You have to buy the pee pad, wipes, poop bags, leash, bowls, bed, blanket, brushes, toys, and treats. Then when your puppy outgrows something, you’re back to the store to find a bigger size.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my puppy. But pets are a lot of work.

They take as much work as babies but not as much. Puppies will sleep a little longer at night when a baby will wake up constantly until they get settled which could be months or years.

If you don’t have a pet or a baby, hopefully, this is a good warning to you.

Pets, as well as babies, take a lot of your time and attention.