Rover breaks down what it costs to be a pet owner in 2022

We already know that it can get expensive being a dog owner, but overall, the costs are much less than having a human child. But just how much does it cost to be a pet owner? Rover has the answer!

In a new press email we received on behalf of the Rover True Cost of Pet Parenthood Report for 2022, we got to see just how much owning a pet can cost us. But that is not all the information they shared in terms of being a dog parent.

With data gathered from over 1000 pet parents in the United States, Rover was able to pull together information on the realities versus expectations of being a pet parent, the impact of inflation on the cost of being a pet parent, and even how specific breeds can cost more or less than others. Basically if it revolves around how much it costs to be a dog parent, they have us covered in this report.

What did Rover find out about the cost of pet parenthood?

Up first let’s look at reality versus expectations. According to Rover, it seems like most pet parents only expected to spend around $500 on their pets. However, the reality is that the average cost upfront for our pets can be anywhere from $1050 to $4480! (Seriously that is a crazy difference.)

From the adoption fees to the things you may need as a first time pet parent, the list of things you will be spending money on seems almost endless. (Remember, they need vaccines and shots and stuff!) And that is why instead of $500, some pet parents are hitting that $4480 mark in terms of upfront cost for bringing home a pet.

Next, let’s look at how inflation is impacting pet parents, or at least what they say they are noticing right now. Apparently,

"71% of dog parents claim they’ve noticed increasing pet-related costs due to inflation. Another 73% indicated they’re concerned about how much costs will continue to rise over their pet’s lifetime."

And considering how easy it is to see the rising costs across the board (whether we are talking groceries, clothing, and things to do), we are not surprised by the fact that pet parents are also noticing increases when it comes to their furry (or not so furry) children.

But perhaps one of the most interesting details this report shared is about pet parents choosing pets over babies. Specifically, the determined that,

"10% of pet parents are choosing to bring home a dog versus having a child due to the lower total cost. This is most true for Gen Z (23%) and Millennials (22%)."

And of course, we can’t help but point out that certain breeds will cost more than others. In the report, Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, B.Sc., D.V.M., shared her own thoughts on how a dog’s breed can have an impact on how much they will cost. As she said, “At its very simplest, it could be about size, and size is a huge governing factor in costs. Medicines are dosed based on body weight, for example.”

At the top of the list of most expensive breeds, it looks like the Golden Retriever takes the crown (and your money), for monthly expenditures on average. In the next level of expensive breeds, we have the German Shephard, the Australian Shephard, the Goldendoodle, and the Pit Bull. Just below that, in a tier all by itself, we have the Labrador Retriever.

Now, while they didn’t exactly cover every single breed out there, this is still a great sampling of some very popular breeds. And it is a reminder that sometimes, even the most popular breed of pup can be expensive.

So when it comes to planning that next puppy or even that first puppy, it might make more sense to figure out if the pup you want will end up coming with a major monthly price tag too.

What do you think fellow dog lovers? Are you surprised by the cost of being a pet parent? Does any of this information surprise you? We want to know.