Adopting a dog already entailed a lot of responsibilities, but the explosion in costs for dog maintenance in recent years makes it more and more a consideration.
“Currently, even if we wanted to have a second dog, we simply couldn’t afford it,” notes Charlène Portal, a golden retriever owner from Sorel-Tracy.
Charlène Portal (left), her partner Manon Goury (right) and their golden retriever, Swen.
Photo provided by Charlène Portal
In a study published last January, the financial product comparator Hellosafe revealed that the annual cost of caring for your dog in Quebec increased by 23% between 2021 and 2024. The annual bill amounts on average to $3,020 , or $570 more than two years ago.
“Among all the sectors and products we analyze, nothing has exploded like the costs for pet owners. Having a dog almost becomes a luxury,” explains the company’s spokesperson in Canada, Alexandre Desoutter.
Big dog, big money
According to Hellosafe, the decision to adopt a dog should be taken “very seriously” by future owners. You must also choose the animal wisely, because acquisition and maintenance costs vary greatly depending on the size and breed.
“We have to think about what we are capable of taking on. It is especially for food and care that the difference is striking, continues the spokesperson. It costs five times more to feed a large dog ($2,645) than a small dog ($525). For veterinary care, it is estimated that it costs around double for a large breed dog.”
- Listen to the interview with Clara Loiseau, journalist at Journal de Montréal on Alexandre Dubé’s microphone via QUB :
Significant rise in commodities
Rover, an online platform that offers pet sitting services, surveyed its Canadian customers on their annual spending in 2023. The price of food increased by 58% according to a study published in mid-March .
Treats and toys (55%) and veterinary services (49%) also saw significant price increases.
Expensive adoption
Several breeders contacted by The newspaper confided that they have great difficulty obtaining a fair price for the animals they make available for adoption. They agree that the windfall of the pandemic, during which dogs were snapped up at high prices, is well and truly over.
“Demand has really slowed down,” admits a Boston Terrier breeder who requested anonymity so as not to harm his business. But I can’t lower my prices to try to attract more customers, because I’ll never make my money back, as all the essentials cost us more.”
In addition to breaking out the checkbook for the acquisition, new owners must count on equally, if not more, significant expenses in the first three months after adoption, according to Hellosafe.
“All races combined, we are talking about $2,580 on average. It includes everything: sterilization, first veterinary appointments, microchipping, basket, transport cage, collar and leash,” emphasizes Mr. Desoutter.