Are you prepared?
New Report: It’s Becoming More Expensive to Own a Dog—You’ll Be Shocked by Exactly How Much
Published on May 28, 2025
When my husband and I adopted our first dog back in 2010, we had no idea what the true cost of pet parenthood would be. We simply paid $150 to a shelter for the 12-week-old Labrador retriever mix and fell in love with Rio. He made everything fun, whether heading out on a hiking trail, hitting a beer garden with friends or snuggling on the couch to watch TV.
When Rio was 7 years old, we adopted a second dog: a little poodle mix we named Peach. Due to her health issues, the rescue organization estimated her life expectancy to be just 2-and-a-half months to 16 months and only charged us a $50 adoption fee. But veterinary teams can work wonders, and she lived for more than 5 years with us, adding smiles to every day.
Since my husband and I don’t have human children, our pets are like our kids, and we spared no expense trying to keep our dogs as happy and healthy as possible in their senior years—to the tune of five figures in 2023, the last year they were both alive. While we know there are countless amazing dogs waiting in shelters and often pine for another Lab, for the time being, we’re sticking with having just one healthy dog—a Yorkshire terrier mix named Tux—to save money.
So I was interested to see a new study from Rover that drills into the “true cost” of pet parenthood—and highlights the costs that are on the rise. Read on to find out how much having a dog will really cost you in 2025, as well as learn how to save money when caring for your pets.
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How did Rover determine dog-ownership costs?
In its aptly named True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report, Rover determined dog-ownership costs by conducting a poll of 1,000 U.S.-based dog owners based in February 2025. Participants shared what they pay for different aspects of pet care, from veterinary care and training to food and toys. The report found that 43% of dog parents are concerned about the rising cost of care over their pet’s lifetime—and 52% are concerned that tariffs will further increase the cost of having a pet.
How expensive is it to own a dog right now?
It is a lot more expensive right now to own a dog than it was in 2020, the first year Rover launched a True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report. In 2020, the annual cost range was $650 to $2,295. In 2025? That cost has skyrocketed to $1,390 to $5,295 per dog each year, which depends on breed, ongoing health conditions, size and age. That’s an increase of up to 130% in just five years.
Annual costs have increased in almost every category of pet care, such as:
- Food: $200–$1,000 in 2020 vs. $655–$1,905 in 2025
- Routine veterinary visits: $210 (on average) in 2020 vs. $75–$730 in 2025
- Dental hygiene: $60–$80 in 2020 vs. $430–$600 in 2025
- Flea and tick prevention: $40–$200 in 2020 vs. $120–$420 in 2025
- Treats: $70–$145 in 2020 vs. $50–$730 in 2025
- Poop bags: $35–$60 in 2020 vs. $85–$145 in 2025
That really adds up over time as well, as you can imagine. The lifetime cost of a dog now ranges from $16,440 for small dog breeds to a whopping $52,075 for a large dog.
Why have these costs risen so much?
A major reason why pet-care costs have risen so much is inflation, according to Julie Castle, CEO of the animal welfare nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society. “Inflation has caused higher prices across almost all goods and services sectors, including veterinary care and pet supplies,” she says. “In some parts of the country, there are veterinary-resource deserts, which often create higher demand, resulting in increased costs to pet owners.”
That’s causing concern among many advocates that people may adopt fewer dogs or surrender them to shelters due to financial concerns, says Heather J. Cammisa, who serves on the leadership team at the nonprofit Open Door Veterinary Collective. She cited recent research from PetSmart Charities and Gallup that found more than half of pet families have skipped or declined veterinary care, with 7 in 10 citing financial reasons.
“The cost of veterinary care is causing a breakdown in the human-animal bond, and we know that the cost of veterinary care is weighing adoption decisions by families,” she says.
Are any costs going down in 2025?
Just one, but we’ll take it! According to Rover’s True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report for 2025, the main cost decrease this year is bringing home a dog, which is 8% lower than in 2024, primarily due to lower adoption fees. The report notes that shelter adoption fees often include spay/neuter surgery and initial vaccinations, which saves additional money.
That said, while the cost of adopting a dog from an animal shelter or rescue organization dropped by 19% this year to between $30 and $455, the cost of buying a dog from a breeder jumped 1,039% from last year, rising to between $775 and $4,750 depending on the breed and sex of the dog. The report goes on to say that purchasing from a breeder may require owners to spend up to $1,380 more to pay for a puppy’s vaccines and spay/neuter surgery.
“When looking to acquire a pet, you can save money by adopting from a shelter or rescue group, rather than buying from a breeder, pet store or online retailer,” Castle says. “Whatever it is you’re looking for, adopting is the way to go. Shelters and specific breed rescues receive many purebred dogs and designer mixed breeds like ‘doodles.'”
How can you keep costs down if you own a dog?
One way you can keep pet costs down is to search on your ZIP code for “financially friendly” veterinary care, supplies, behavior support (for issues like barking, pet food, grant programs) and other resources with the free online tool Pethelpfinder.org. The site is a project of the nonprofit Open Door Veterinary Collective, a team of social workers, veterinarians, business experts and animal-welfare advocates
“Pethelpfinder.org has grown several-fold since launching in February 2023—from 1,700 listings to more than 6,000 today,” Cammisa says. “That’s one piece of good news: There are more people and entities working on solutions than ever.”
Other ways to keep costs down if you have a dog include:
- Stay current on vaccinations and preventive care. “A $20 vaccine can prevent thousands of dollars in emergency care,” Cammisa notes. Shelters often have vaccination clinics with discounted rates. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight through a balanced diet and exercise will help prevent issues like diabetes and osteoarthritis.
- Save on supplies like dog food. Many online retailers offer auto ship or subscription programs that offer a generous discount on the first order and an ongoing discount on subsequent orders. You can also sign up for text and email alerts for sales. “Beyond saving money on purchases, watch the Nextdoor app or social media marketplace and ‘buy nothing’ groups to pick up gifted pet supplies,” Castle adds.
- Discuss financial constraints with your veterinary team. “Not only are humane organizations working to provide more public veterinary care, but there are also innovations and efforts in private veterinary practices to expand clients’ abilities to access care,” Cammisa says. “[This includes things like] offering expanded payment options that do not require a credit check on clients or using a spectrum of care approach for clients with financial constraints.” Additionally, some animal hospitals offer deep discounts or free annual exams and other perks to dogs that participate in blood donor programs.
- Socialize your puppy. Exposing your puppy to as many different people, pets, sounds and environments as possible—in a safe and positive way—will help them become confident adult dogs who won’t need additional training to correct fear-based behaviors like lunging or biting. When Rio was a puppy, his trainer gave us a socialization checklist that included things like kids on skateboards, adults using canes and wheelchairs, and people wearing uniforms, sunglasses and hats. He also attended free puppy socialization parties, which proved ridiculously adorable.
- Train your dog to “come.” Training your dog to “come” when called can be critically important in preventing expensive and scary accidents like being hit by a car or getting into a dog fight while off-leash.
- Plan ahead for natural and personal disasters. To help avoid unexpected costs, Cammisa recommends knowing who will care for your dog if you are hospitalized and having a “go bag” of pet food, medicines and care supplies in case you need to evacuate your home due to floods, wildfires or other emergencies.
Is fostering a dog a financially friendly alternative to adoption?
Yes. People who are concerned about the financial costs of owning a dog may want to consider fostering. “By fostering, you’ll give a pet a home and love, while all the supplies, food and medical care are typically provided by the shelter or rescue,” Castle says.
There’s also an urgent need. Best Friends Animal Society data shows that despite an increase in dog adoptions, it hasn’t been enough to keep up with a 2.3% rise in dogs entering shelters, Castle notes. Dogs—particularly big dogs—need help. “The number of dogs unnecessarily dying in shelters increased by 5% last year,” she says. “The calls to adopt and foster are as urgent as ever.”
Puppies usually need fostering for a short period of time—typically a few weeks to a month. Adult and senior dogs can offer a longer-term opportunity. “Fosters provide great information to shelters about how a dog is in a home environment, which can help find just the right adopters,” Castle says. “It’s a very rewarding experience, being the gateway for a homeless dog to find their new family.”
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Jen Reeder tapped her experience as a longtime pet journalist, the former president of the Dog Writers Association of America and a dog owner. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Rover: “The True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report for 2025”
- PennLive: “What’s the true cost of owning a dog in 2020?”
- Heather J. Cammisa, MA, CAWA, member of the leadership team at Open Door Veterinary Collective and project lead of Pethelpfinder.org; email interview, May 20, 2025
- Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society; email interview, May 20, 2025
- Gallup: “State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care”
- Best Friends Animal Society: “Pet Lifesaving Dashboard”
