Paying for pet care in tough times

Dog (ABC 4 News)

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• Discount Vet Deals

More pets are finding themselves homeless or going without needed care because of the tough times.  Many pet owners are having to go without and that means their pets are too.  ABC4 is taking action to show you more affordable ways to keep your pet and make sure they have the proper care.    

We talked to veterinarians around the Valley today, who say not only are they seeing a drop in the number of visits, but when pet owners do come in, they opt out of important, sometimes life-saving, procedures.  Vetrenarian Susan McDonald of Central Valley Veterinary Hospital says it’s a predicament she faces daily.  The shrinking number that still do bring their pets in are opting to downgrade services.  McDonald says, “A lot of times we'll give them the options of what we know is best for the pet, and they'll say well this is how much I have to work with.”

But what if we told you, it is possible to keep your animals and still pay your bills.  The Utah Animal Adoption Center’s Temma Martin says it helps to prevent illness rather than pay expensive service fees later. Martin says, “If you have a cat, keep your cat indoors.  Cats that are outside tend to get in more fights, and tend to be injured more often.”  Having your pets spade or neutered, she says, does more than spare extra mouths to feed.  “It saves money for the health of the pet, they're much less likely to have health problems, certain kinds of cancers are eliminated.”  Other ways to save include: keeping up on vaccinations to prevent illness, buying food and treats in bulk, investing in pet insurance, using care credit payment plans, and making toys instead of buying them.  Martin says, “You can certainly find a lot of great pet sales and equipment at yard sales.”

For a list of discount deals with different veterinarians, you can visit utahpets.org. We also spoke today with the Humane Society of Utah who offers pet services at a discount.  They say, since the recession, their business has improved.  They attribute this to more people seeking discounts. 

The Humane Society is holding a June special called “The Group Health Plan.” They will spay a mother cat and all of her kittens (male or female, up to 5 kittens) for just $90.00. There are some restrictions and an appointment is required so people need to call us them more information at (801)261-2919 ext. 230.

Following is a list of regular prices for the services we offer at the Humane Society Clinic: