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MY FIRST PET WAS a timid pup called Precious, a moniker inspired by the cartoon character of the same name. My four-year-old self felt an affinity for the runt of the litter, so I quickly picked him out. That sweet, little dog had a nature true to his name. I don’t remember his fate but, in those days, pets ranged free in our little town, and I fear he may have met with some mishap.
My second pooch arrived when I was age six, while sitting in my barber’s chair submitting to a haircut. A family friend home from college popped her head through the doorway and asked if I wanted a free puppy. Of course, I did. My mother acquiesced, and we brought him home that day. I christened him Butch, because I thought it sounded tough. Maybe I should have tried something gentler. A few months later, Butch nipped a little girl’s heel and was promptly returned to the original owner.
In the years since, other dogs have wobbled or walked into my life, dogs whose only price was the promise of a good home. A few were big dogs with big hearts. A couple were little dogs with even bigger hearts. Each asked for scant more than a kind word and occasional scratch behind the ears, but returned all the love they could lavish.
None of these dogs claimed any particular ancestry, and none was especially good looking. Even our present family pet, a Labrador retriever named Lottie, would never win “best of show.” All shared one attractive quality, however: They were free.
Apparently, free puppies aren’t as popular as they once were, at least not in some circles. One breeder here in Georgia advertises registered Rhodesian ridgeback puppies for $2,500. Another offers Shetland sheepdogs for the same price. American Staffordshire terriers fetch “just” $2,000, though the money that’s saved may be lost to higher home-insurance premiums.
To be sure, those puppies sport top pedigrees. Yet even the mixed bloods seem expensive to me. A mini sheepadoodle runs about $900, while $1,000 buys the choice of a bichapoo or a teddy bear. To come home with a cute, cuddly cavapoo, you’ll leave behind $1,795.
Are expensive pets truly better than their cut-rate cousins? Does a homely little mongrel offer any less love than a high society hound? A dog knows nothing of pedigrees, and cares even less. She just wants a pack to run with, and any family will fill that bill. She’s not fussy, so what makes the owners so choosy?
Now, I know sometimes breeding matters. Personality alone won’t win the Iditarod, and it’s pointless to hunt quail without a dog bred for the task. A loyal companion can come from humble beginnings, though, and blossom into your best friend. I don’t claim an expensive dog can’t have an expansive heart, but I also don’t think I have to scrape up a big stash of scratch to bring a new furry friend into my life.
Take Lottie. She was a rescue dog of sorts. My daughter picked her from a large litter living in a flea-infested kennel. Lottie escaped to a good home, but her litter mates weren’t so lucky. All died of parvovirus a short while later.
Lottie’s eager personality made it easy to overlook her early faults, like incessant chewing when no one was looking. As a youngster, she was a constant companion when something interesting was afoot, like swimming in the pond or checking on the beaver dam down at the creek. Today, she’s older and slower, but her quick tongue remains difficult to dodge when I sit on the steps to lace up my work boots.
I’m cognizant HumbleDollar is populated by dog lovers, and even a professional dog trainer, so I’m treading lightly. I wouldn’t accuse anyone here of strutting around with a status symbol on a leash, and I also wouldn’t criticize folks for doing so. If a flashy dog brings a thrill, by all means indulge. Money should be enjoyed. Even if someone signals a more subtle message through dog ownership, I won’t howl about it.
As for me, however, I’m not out to put on the dog. Nor do I feel called to save all the world’s at-risk pets. It’s not my campaign. I do like to save money, though, so a free puppy appeals to my frugality. The family pet is one item that I shop for on price every time.
I’m aware I’m striking a self-righteous stance, and I won’t blame anyone for taking me to task for my finger-wagging. But before giving vent to rising indignation, let me tell you of one exception to my tight-fisted tendencies.
That exception was Hanna, named after the tropical storm that drove her to seek shelter on our front porch. My wife and I arrived home from work to find her greeting us with a shy wag of her tail and a hesitant step forward. After getting acquainted, we fed her well and got her bedded down for the night, while we wondered what to do with this mystery dog.
What we did was go all in, with the purchase of a collar, dog shampoo and food before we arrived home from work the next evening. Hanna came to us fully grown, and also fully clipped, though we didn’t realize it at the time. Later, her long coat revealed what was probably one of the designer dogs I poked fun at earlier in this article. We kept scouting for “lost dog” postings, but they never appeared.
We didn’t think we had time in our schedules for either a pet or a pupil. My wife and I are not skilled dog trainers, but discovered we didn’t need to be. As a student, Hanna made up for our deficits with a quick mind that anticipated our wants and quickly secured a spot in our lives.
Hanna’s been gone for a dozen years, but we still miss her. Despite my lifelong policy of bargain-basement pets, I’d gladly pay a premium price to have her back in our family.
Ed Marsh is a physical therapist who lives and works in a small community near Atlanta. He likes to spend time with his church, with his family and in his garden thinking about retirement. His favorite question to ask a young person is, “Are you saving for retirement?” Check out Ed’s earlier articles.
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Dogs make the world a better place. Furthermore there is no such thing as a bad dog, just a neglectful owner.
For some reason, you brought this poem to mind.
Hi, I’ve had dogs and cats all my life. I am now on the Board of Directors at First Coast No More Homeless Pets in Jacksonville FL. We were the original group that started the No Kill movement. I have seen what happens to “mixed breed” dogs. They make up the majority of dogs in shelters. Because the breed dogs all have their own rescues. I will tell you this – rescue dogs are by far the most loyal. They know they’ve been rescued and will be your best friend for life. So PLEASE check out your shelters before you fork over 2500 for a breed. BTW, every breed comes with health issues common to that breed.
I’m more of a cat person, simply because they better match my lifestyle and personality. They’re not status symbols, because they’re indoor-only most of my neighbors have never seen them. All have been in the catch-all “domestic short hair” breed category.
My current two cats technically weren’t free, I got them both from my local Humane Society for a $50-100 adoption fee. However, that included neutering/spaying, vaccinations, and microchipping that would have cost me much more if I had had them done elsewhere. One of them had arrived at the shelter with bite wounds, which required veterinary treatment and a 4-month quarantine for potential rabies, all of which were included in the adoption fee.
For many dogs have replaced children, so they go all-in. Figuring a $2K puppy is a lot cheaper and has the show-off factor. Dog ownership has radically changed over the years. Way back when, muts were the norm. Generally kept outside. If they were sick, typically put down vs. now where folks pay thousands to treat a
pet(family member).Fully agree! Not just about the money angle but the high vet bills and early deaths that may accompany the bad genes some pedigree dogs carry due to intensive breeding. The best dogs I know are mixed breed – the unique qualities of each one makes them very special and interesting as a one-of-a-kind individual. Each to their own, but can you imagine if all humans looked and acted the same? It would be stultifying. Or whatever adjective comes to your mind about monotony.
Ed, A dog is mans best friend, no truer statement has ever been made. A good running joke is if you lock your dog and your wife in the trunk of your car and come back an hour later, which one would be happy to see you?… Nailed the reasons to own a rescue dog, unconditional love, companionship, and no drama. As a parent of three 80 lb. mutt rescues, Charlie (Mountain Cur), Tessa (Swiss White Shepard) and Rhett (Black & Tan Coon Hound) I can attest to the joy we continue to have with our three hounds.
Nice read Ed. It’s been awhile since we had our own pets, so we’ve been especially enjoying taking care of the pets of others. I’m sure we’ll find our own again at some point, or they’ll find us.
Ed, thanks for this and good on you for taking in the rescues. One way or another, it seems the rescues always “find” us and we’ve had many over the years. Not long ago we had four at one time, and that kept us hoppin’. They were all of advanced age and so we’ve lost them one by one. Just now, I returned from taking our “last dog standing” to the vet, and he got a good report for a 15 year old!
I’m sure his good health reflects the the care he’s received in your home. Thank you for reading, Andrew. It’s always a pleasure to read your comments.
Ed, found your article interesting and heartwarming. Designer dogs and purebreds are the rage in my community. Thanks for giving the mixed breeds a good home. They are just as loving and deserving.
Just like people, for some dogs true beauty is hidden in the inside.
Ed – as with others, this brings back memories of past pups. I once had a rescued Bouvier des Flandres, got him when he was 6 and he was with us 6 more years. He was extremely easy-going except around very loud noises and thunder. We had friends who would ask us when we would be traveling so they could keep him. I also had a Husky-Malinois mix (also free) who was everyone’s friend. She rescued me emotionally during a very difficult separation and divorce. Again, she was a people dog and later quickly “adopted” my future step-daughter. She was taken by cancer far too soon. As you said, I’d pay good money to have her back. It’s not fair to my current dog (the adoption papers say she is a lab/hound mix, but I think she represents the entire canine genome) that she is compared to the prior ones. She’s a nervous/anxious dog, does not mix well with other dogs, and has trouble with kids or folks she doesn’t know well. I think this will be our last dog, as even “free” dogs have gotten gosh-darn expensive. Vet bills, medications, food, boarding, and associated costs have skyrocketed through the years.
Hi Ed, this is Chris. Good article. We are cat people here and have had many foundlings through the years. We always say “Free kittens are never free” because of the vet bills. LOL!
While there is clearly a demand for expensive purebred dogs, I think rescue dogs are more popular than ever. Rescue dog bumper stickers are very common and an increasing number of people view saving a rescue dog as being more responsible than buying a dog from a breeder.
Before his death, my brother-from-another-mother Dave always had a couple rescue dogs. He would rescue the oldest and ugliest dogs that no one else wanted and give them a good home. I get that not all dogs (and cats) can be saved, but it sure says a lot about the people who do what they can for them.
Pawsitively loved reading your tail-wagging tales of canine companionship! Your barking up the right tree with the sentiment that the best things in life, like the joy of a loyal pup, are free. It’s ruff to imagine paying a high pedigree price when there are so many fur-tastic friends waiting for a loving home. Thanks for unleashing this delightful read and reminding us that the love of a dog is truly im-paw-ssible to put a price on!
Clever! You dug up a whole pack of puns.
Thanks Edmund for a fun story. We had two rescue black labs. Both were wonderful family dogs. We now gladly dog sit our son’s dog and host family with their dogs at our beach house.
Lottie’s a great companion, always ready for a romp. The cooler weather makes her forget her age.
Ed, thanks for the great read and tribute to Hanna. I’ve had three dogs over the years, all Shelties. Max was a present for my eighth birthday. He was from a line of show dogs. Beautiful and intelligent, he was also quirky and neurotic. I wrote a whole series of stories about his antics. My next dog was Barclee, a sweet and very loyal dog. He was also big—60 pounds. Tiny Cleo was my last. She was a happy dog with a streak of independence. She passed away a little over a year ago. Each Sheltie made me feel a bit reconnected to the others as they all had some similar traits. Max cost my parents a good bit of money, Barclee was $125 if I remember correctly, and Cleo was $375. I’d pay a huge premium to have any of them back. I’m hoping to have one more Sheltie in my life, when the time is right.
Thanks, Ken. Shelties are a great breed, and it sounds like you knew some great dogs from it.