The Cost of Owning A Dog in Singapore
Pet ownership is a lifetime responsibility and requires a large emotional and financial commitment. Aside from ensuring that you can take the responsibility to take care your pet until the end of its life journey, whether adopt or purchase a dog, you are required to pay for the initial cost and on-going expenses. However, love is priceless, especially when it comes to the love for our canine pals. Plus, they will pay you back with love forever!
So can we still put a dollar amount on how we love our dogs? Yes, we can – and should, of course. This is to avoid financial burden – we need to ensure we have sufficient financial resources to guarantee our survival and meet the basic needs of our pets. Learn what pet expenses to expect before bringing a furry companion into your home.
How much does a dog cost in Singapore?
One-time Expenses
1. Cost of Adopting or Purchasing
Purchase cost is just the beginning. Choosing a reputable breeder is the way to get a healthy pedigree – but it could cost you hundreds or thousands more than purchasing a purebred from pet shop. For instance, a Golden Retriever puppy costs you around $ 350 – $ 4800, depending on where you get the puppy and the quality of the puppy. Save your initial cost by adopting a Fido.
Adopting a dog is generally free of charge but some animal shelters require adoption fees. Keep in mind that the adoption fee is to cover the cost of medical care and other expenses of the dog while it waits for a new home – still much cheaper than purchasing a dog. If you adopt a dog from SPCA, the adoption fee is $180. To adopt a pedigree or its cross (below 7.5 years), you need to pay $250 for the adoption fee. For dogs above 7.5 years including pedigrees and all dogs at the adoption area for over one year, the adoption fee is cheaper, $70 per dog. Adoption fee charged by SPCA for all categories cover vaccination, sterilization, deworming, microchipping, registration and licensing, thus you can allocate your budget and spend more on purchasing high-quality food or basic supplies for your Fido.
2. Spaying
Spaying a male dog costs $ 85 – $ 300 while female dog costs $ 100 – $ 360.
3. Microchip
Microchipping is a permanent identification that help AVA to trace and return lost dogs to owners. Dog owners have to make sure their pet has a microchip before applying dog licences. If you own a restricted breed such as Akita and German Shepherd, you definitely must get your dog microchipped. Microchipping your dog usually costs around $ 50 to $ 80.
4. Others
Basic supplies and accessories such as dog cage, a collar, a leash, water bowl and food bowl should be included in your budget. Depending on the quantity and quality you buy, you may spend $ 30 – $ 250 to meet your dog’s needs. Are you living in HDB flat and your pooch is a kind of ‘Britain’s Got Talent talking dog’? Be aware that your dog is barking excessively or creating noise that interferes with the public peace and comfort. You can take your pooch to obedience class as it is an important part of raising an “ideal dog”. The fee of obedience training class usually starts from $350. If you want to avoid spending up on obedience training, you can check out the characteristics of dog breeds before purchasing or adopting.
Regular Expenses
1. License
Law requires all dog owners to license their dogs. The license fee of a dog below 5 months of age is $ 15 per annum. If you have a sterilized dog, you are required to pay $15 per annum. For a non-sterilized dog, it costs you $90 per annum.
2. Food
Food expenses can range from $ 40 – $ 200 per month. Depending on the quality of food, it could cost you much higher if you purchase gourmet dog food for your pooch. But it costs what it’s worth as high quality and well-balanced dog food can ensure your dog to have a long and healthy life. Treats are additional. It costs you around $ 7 – $ 30 per month.
3. Vaccination and Deworm
Get your dog vaccinated to protect it against diseases. A puppy requires 3 booster vaccinations at 4 weeks intervals, starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Thereafter, only an annual booster is required. The vaccinations cost you $ 30 – $ 80 per visit. Deworm your pooch on a routine basis too. Your dog may carry a variety of intestinal parasites such as roundworm, tapeworm, and hookworm. Therefore, you have to spend $30 – $ 150 per year on worming your dog. If you want to save money, you can buy a wormer tablet from a pet shop.
4. Grooming
Grooming your dog costs money. Depending on the size of your pooch and its amount of fur, the grooming cost can range from $ 20 to $ 110 per visit. Is your dog light-shedding or heavy-shedding? Check the characteristics of the dog breed before purchasing or adopting. Large dogs with medium-length or long, thick coats usually require extensive grooming. Examples are Standard Poodle, Giant Schnauzers, and Samoyeds.
Plan your budget carefully as the expensive grooming is one of the recurring costs for a dog. If you don’t want to waste a ton of money on grooming your dog, you can learn DIY dog grooming tips and buy the grooming tools. Those tools are definitely much cheaper than visiting the pet salon – just spend about $ 10 – $ 60 and they are one-time expenses!