What is income and financial security?
Income is the amount of money a person or a household makes. Financial security is defined as the ability to pay for daily living expenses, including providing for our beloved pets!
How does income and financial security affect animal health?
Pets are a great addition to your home, but owning a pet costs money! Your financial security and income influence access to veterinary care, food and shelter for your pets.
Who is responsible for addressing income and financial security?
As a pet owner, it is mainly up to you to decide how much money to set aside and how much you are willing to spend on your pet. It is the responsibility of your veterinarian to be open about costs and treatment options so that you can make informed decisions.
What actions can you take today?
- Ask your vet about pet insurance or payment plans
- Seek out help form humane societies
- Research common illnesses of your pet’s breed to help be prepared
- Reach out to local community pet food banks
Why should you be prepared for this?
- Accidents happen! Emergency surgeries are not cheap (and your cat isn’t going to stop trying to eat balls of yarn!)
- Some breeds are more likely to need more vet care (for example, pugs) so it’s important to be informed and prepared
- Your financial situation can change, so it’s important to have a plan in place (Cars always break down at the worst of times!)
Additional Resources:
Play a classroom KAHOOT based off of this article: Click here!