Should a person who is just barely making it adopt a puppy or dog?

[Greg]

Should a person who is just barely making it adopt a puppy or dog?

I am asking for a family member who is living alone and extremely lonely to the point of depression.

I am worried about this individual to the point of checking on him mid-day to see if he has gotten out of bed. This is recent; he is retired and has nothing to do.

The other problem is that he could only afford to feed the dog and take care of the most basic things.
If the dog needed surgery or even lab work, he wouldn't be able to cover the cost.

I don't want to put any dog into a bad living situation, but the person I am asking for loves dogs and has always wanted one. I also see him shutting down. He is no longer interested in anything. I think a dog could help him a lot.

Note: He has never served in the military, so I don't think any PTSD services or funds would be available for him.

If anyone has any constructive advice or thoughts, it will be appreciated.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

I don't think it would be fair to the dog. You mentioned the person has 'always wanted one'; has he ever had a dog before? His circumstances don't sound like the best conditions to learn how to take care of one. And even basic annual shots and checkup can run over $200, depending on the local cost of living.

Is he capable of driving? Maybe volunteering at a no-kill shelter would help. He'd interact with animals without the expenses of ownership. He'd also get human interaction with other staff members.

How about a bird feeder? A decent squirrel-resistant feeder and post cost about $50. A 20-pound bag of sunflower seed costs $15; depending on the number of birds attracted, that can last over a month.

 

[Tony_K]

Very good points made above. We have 2 dogs and many times have said we're glad we can afford any costs that may come up beyond the regular shots they need.
Recently one of them had a split toe nail and you can't ignore such things and need to get it fixed.

 

[Greg]

I appreciate the comments and I know we average about 2k per year for our dog in medical expenses

 

[Brentford]

I don't think it would be fair to the dog. You mentioned the person has 'always wanted one'; has he ever had a dog before? His circumstances don't sound like the best conditions to learn how to take care of one. And even basic annual shots and checkup can run over $200, depending on the local cost of living.

Is he capable of driving? Maybe volunteering at a no-kill shelter would help. He'd interact with animals without the expenses of ownership. He'd also get human interaction with other staff members.

How about a bird feeder? A decent squirrel-resistant feeder and post cost about $50. A 20-pound bag of sunflower seed costs $15; depending on the number of birds attracted, that can last over a month.

I can’t believe you didn’t mention a hummingbird feeder. Bird feeders are great, but in my experience, the birds never get comfortable enough to use it while you are nearby. As stated before, I had a hummingbird feeder on my balcony and those birds didn’t care if I was sitting right beside the feeder. They’d still use it without a bother.

As for the original question, I can’t offer much insight on dogs. And I feel like us cat owners feel like our cats are immune to everything. I’m guilty of not really taking my Chloe to the vet like I should. However, if something unexpected happened that I know wasn’t normal, we’d definitely go to get it checked out.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

I can’t believe you didn’t mention a hummingbird feeder. Bird feeders are great, but in my experience, the birds never get comfortable enough to use it while you are nearby. As stated before, I had a hummingbird feeder on my balcony and those birds didn’t care if I was sitting right beside the feeder. They’d still use it without a bother.

Hummers are great entertainment but there only a few parts of the country where they stay all year. They'll be gone from most of the country by the end of September and won't be back until March or April.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

As someone who has never owned a dog himself but knows someone who is in that exact situation right now, I would say absolutely not.

Like @Charlie Spencer said, it wouldn't be fair to the dog. I feel like it's not much different than taking in a child that you can't afford to take care of. It's a serious and expensive responsibility.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

What did he do before he retired? Did he enjoy it? Maybe he could volunteer to do something similar with a non-profit.