some one out there please help me!!!

[manda]

hi im not sure if this is the place where i can pore my heart out and beg but well i gotta try.
well so far ive tried all that i know. ok i am a mother of two. a 3 year old daughter and a 7 month old son. well lately my daughter has been begging me for a dog and well i have to admit i have been wanting a puppy to love also. she is really gentle with animals and loves them to pieces so i decided to get a tiny little pup that wont get very big.

actually the smaller the better. but anyway. i am not rich and can definitely not afford to spend 100 to 1000 dollars on a dog. so i figured i would adopt one or take in a mixed breed of small breeds. but where????? i tried my local newspaper but nothing i tried a shelter near me but the adoption was 300 dollars. i live in pennsylvania is there any one who can help me and my daughter out?

your opions are most appritiated. thanks so much.
-manda-

 

[bubbatd]

I cannot believe that a Humane Society in Penn. would charge that much !! Look up rescue sites...do not go puppy with children that young. Also, it would be wise to stay away from a very small breed. There are many medium breeds ( even smaller large breeds ) that are better with children than small breeds. Look up rescue breeds in Penn. I'm trying to help a lady place her 4 yr, old 74# lab right now. Also, call the vets around you. Our vet's board is covered with "free to a good home" flyers. Puppy's are cute....but they are only small for a short time. Also with puppies, the first year of vetting can cost you more than the dog. You've get a lotof advice on this board !!! Good luck !

 

[smkie]

www.petsavers.com is where i found my victor..you can type in the size, type, and age of the dog you are wanting to adopt. i think that is the very best place to start.Talk to the person that is in charge of your dog. I didn't have the adoption fee, i told that to Connie right off the bat, but i told her i had the humane society so i could insure vet treatment, and i could feed the dog without any trouble. i told her i could trade her gift certificates of pet portraits..that Mary and I had lost our Bronki and were so sad..two mothers without our son to love. She gave victor to me..no charge. Check and see if your city has a humane society vet clinic as well, ours is non profit and if it wasn't for them i couldn't have my dogs at all. they provide a wonderful service and will work out payment arrangements for you as well. Good luck and please come back and post pics..every little girl should have a good dog..they teach us everything that is good in the world to believe in..trust and love, loyalty and happiness. I am happy you are trying to find her one. My life would not have been near as rich or full if i hadn't had a dog growing up. one thing it is best to wait until a child is 4 or 5 years old. Even starting with a small animal like a mouse in a tank..will teach them to be careful and learn to feed and water without so much hands on. Too young of children can harm a puppy without meaning to. My first lab pup was killed by two boys that were visiting the kennel. He was only 5 weeks old and the father had let them in the pen. they squeezed him to hard and broke his ribs into his lungs. He died before i could get him to the emergency vet. YOu could spend a year reading and discussing how your child is going to care for the puppy. In the meantime they can help save up with an allowance of a quarter or so earned each week. i have a grandaughter that is five, and is only now in my opinion old enough to understand that teasing is not funny, but cruel. puppy teeth are hard for a youngster to understand and the mouthing can cause them to strike out in inappropriate ways. Hyia now has a stray dog that i brought home. He is older and strong, and gentle for her first experience as a dog lover...i want it to be a positive one for both of them. I hope to have her in obedience class with Shaffer this summer.

 

[CreatureTeacher]

I agree with all the above. I would look for a good mutt (healthier than pure-bred dogs, and usually better behaved without professional intervention), 30-40 pounds (larger dogs typically do better with children, because they aren't so delicate and can shrug off play that would hurt a smaller dog--they're also more likely to be able to keep up with a kid, energy-wise), and about a year old (you get a lot of the fun puppy behavior without the expensive puppy vet bills). I think it's wonderful you're thinking of a dog for your kids. No kid is complete without a four-legged best friend!

 

[IlUvMyAnImAlZ05]

Hello!,
I would keep looking at your newspaper.
And i know a great site called petfinder.com it is great. It will show dogs at your local pound or shelter just put in your city or zip code (on the side of the website). I would love to help you find a small dog on petfinder.com What city are you located in? Or the zip code? Is there a specific breed your wanting other than small?
~!~Mandy~!~
PS:Godd luck!

 

[shredhead (DOG LOVER)]

Wow, that must be the highest adoption I've ever heard of. Anyways I'd definitely go with Petsaver. You never know where you'll find your best 4-legged friend.

-Jon

 

[Martine]

I'm shocked at that cost - must put many people off adopting their dogs. You've got some great advice above - good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Gustav]

Yesh! $300! Please let us know how you get on, and post some pics!!

 

[Debi]

I live in PA and I've never seen that price quoted for a rescue. Yes..there is a fee, but $50 was the highest I ever saw....and that included neutering/spaying. I can't believe any rescue/shelter would charge $300. PLEASE try again because something was misunderstood. Every town has a shelter with dogs just waiting. I've known people that have paid $25. to obtain a dog.

 

[siemens716]

Ah. Do you know what having a dog means, ON TOP of having two small children?

Especially a rescue dog that may have 'issues.'

And if you can't afford $100 for a dog, maybe now is not teh right time to do it. The cost of food, toys, bedding, crate, will be over $100 very quickly.

My advice would be to wait until things settle down in your home.

 

[EliNHunter]

It sounds like cost of both the dog and the upkeep is an issue. If you cannot afford the dog, let alone the upkeep (probably around $1000/year figuring in vetting, food, and meds), you are best to wait until you can afford it. It's like having a third child pretty much.

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Rescue Fees

We paid $400 to a rescue for our sweet Rat Terrier pup when she was 14 weeks old. They do charge higher adoption fees for puppies under 6 mos.(since they are doing the extra puppy shots, spay/neuter) and lesser amounts ($100-$300) for older dogs, depending on age and continued medical needs. They are very careful about where they place the dogs to get just the right fit, and will take back a dog that doesn't work out. This rescue has been in business for over 11 years, and has placed close to 8,000 dogs. They are a registered non-profit organization, so any "fees" paid for a dog adopted through them is 100% tax deductible, because it is shown as a "donation" to fund the rescue. They take on many dogs there that will never be adopted due to old age, severe abuse or handicaps. All of those dogs will live the rest of their lives in a comfortable place, even if it isn't the "perfect" home they should have, and made possible only because people that can afford to pay the fees to adopt a pet, will do that, knowing it will benefit so many other dogs.

There are city/county shelters that will adopt a dog out for MUCH less... and all of these dogs need homes also. We can't put a "price" on a dog's life. No matter what fee is "paid" to adopt a dog, it will still be only a small part of the cost involved to properly care for a dog that will give many wonderful years of love and companionship!

Karen G.
http://www.blinddogs.net
http://www.dogrescueusa.com
http://www.natures-paws.com

I live in PA and I've never seen that price quoted for a rescue. Yes..there is a fee, but $50 was the highest I ever saw....and that included neutering/spaying. I can't believe any rescue/shelter would charge $300. PLEASE try again because something was misunderstood. Every town has a shelter with dogs just waiting. I've known people that have paid $25. to obtain a dog.

 

[Babyblue5290]

Not to butt in but Pennsylvania is one of the states with the highest problems of puppy mills, so make sure you don't buy a puppy from these peoples. The news papers are full of them and backyard breeders so be careful with your choice.

 

[Kyra]

$100 isn't really that much if it includes shots and neuter or spay. I just took my cat to the vet last week and it was $70 for a checkup and shots.
I am thinking about getting a 2nd dog but I am still in the process of thinking about whether I really want to or not. There sure are many things to think about! There are alot of other costs involved. As someone else mentioned, crate, dog supplies, food, vet bills.
With kids in the house you also may have to figure in the cost of new shoes and shoelaces, toys that the kids leave laying around that need to be replaced if you don't watch the puppy constantly. My lab loved to chew and with 3 kids I have to admit there were times when I got distracted and the dog destroyed something in a matter of minutes.
I am not trying to discourage you, I'd just like to see you think it through carefully. It is the same thing I am going through right now.
My son was 3 when I got our dog and it wasn't easy to always keep an eye on my son and the puppy. I can't imagine doing it with a 7 month old too. You are probably just getting your youngest one to sleep through the night. Do you really want to get up every few hours to let a puppy out?
Maybe getting an older dog from a rescue that is already spayed or neutered and likes children might be a better option.
Once again, I am not trying to discourage you. I just wanted to throw out a few things that I have been thinking about hoping they might help.

 

[gapeach]

Just wanted to say hey and wish you good luck