Anywhere you go in America, on either coast or straight through the heartland, you are certain to find a household with at least one pet. Pets and humans have lived together for centuries, not only on this continent but on every continent around the world. Today, there are 46,300,000 households that own a dog and 38,900,000 households with at least one cat. These are only the two most popular species of pets. Many homes own all sorts of different species of animals for pets.
It has been studied and proven to be the case that pet owners often lead healthier lives than those without any kind of a pet in the home. In one study of 217 members of a community, those who owned and cared for pets showed greater mobility, more self-esteem, were more conscientious and less lonely than those who did not have a pet in their life.
In the United States today, there are around 380 million pets. At 300 million US citizens, that’s 80 million more pets than people. The 380 million pets in America are owned by 63% of all households, and 40% own more than one pet. With all of the pets in the country, it would only make sense that looking out for their health and welfare would be part of the pet-owning agenda. It is for these pet care needs that a good veterinary clinic is of primary importance.
Making sure there is a quality animal hospital close by should be the top priority of someone who is getting ready to take on the responsibility of being a pet owner. An emergency vet can be of vital importance if your pet ever gets unexpectedly sick or worse, has an accident. Finding a good veterinary clinic nearby can take a lot of the stress and worry away from a pet owner. Just knowing that someone is close by in case there is a problem can put a mind at ease. It can cost a fair amount to care for a pet and to spend extra money to travel to a far off veterinary clinic can be a big expense.
There are emergency expenses with pets, and then there are the regular, day to day expenses. On average, it can cost around $1,135 per year to own a dog and roughly $792 to properly care for a cat. And these are just regular expenses. When it comes to medical care and emergency costs, those average expense can obviously rise quite high. If there is a veterinary clinic close by, it is possible that they might accept a payment plan for their services. Some clinics offer plans where you can pay in advance, often on a monthly basis, so that the costs of an emergency don’t hit you all at once.
Pets are and have always been a vital part of our lives as human beings. They take care of us, so we should make sure to take care of them.