Deal Finder: Ways to save on pet costs
By LATINA EMERSON, The Shopper Deal Finder
Pets are beloved members of our families, and the costs to take care of them can definitely add up. Just like humans, pets need food, medical care, grooming and more. Several local agencies are offering ways to save on pet adoptions, spay and neuter services and other medical needs for pets.
Newnan-Coweta Humane Society
The Newnan-Coweta Humane Society offers low-cost adoptions for cats and dogs. Those interested in adopting a pet should complete the application form on the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society’s website.
To adopt a cat, potential pet owners should stop by PetSmart at 1072 Bullsboro Dr. in Newnan from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Adoption prices are $145 for kittens to 2 years old, $85 for cats over 2 years old and $225 for two cats. This price includes spay/neuter, microchip, rabies (age dependent), FVRCP, FVRCP booster (age dependent), monthly flea/worm prevention, foster care costs and any other necessary medical needs up to the date of adoption.
To adopt a dog, the cost is $250 for puppies to 1 year old and $200 for dogs over 1 year old. This price includes spay/neuter, microchip, rabies (age dependent), DHPP vaccination, Bordetella vaccination, heartworm testing, monthly flea/worm prevention and any other necessary medical needs up to the date of adoption.
For more information, visit https://www.nchsrescue.org/adopt, email [email protected] or visit the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society at 608 Hwy. 29 N. in Newnan.
H.E.L.P. Spay/Neuter Clinic
The H.E.L.P. Spay/Neuter Clinic provides low-cost spay and neuter procedures for Coweta and surrounding counties to help end local pet overpopulation. The clinic follows the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team method of surgery, which safely allows for as many as 40 surgeries daily. Pets will receive the best medical care.
Families are encouraged to establish a relationship with a full-service veterinarian to provide ongoing preventive care such as heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention and annual vaccines. While the clinic doesn’t offer services for sick or injured pets, it refers patients to full service veterinarian offices.
The H.E.L.P. Spay/Neuter Clinic is at 12 The Crescent in Newnan. For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/site/thehelpspayneuterclinic/, call 770-304-7911 or email [email protected].
Coweta County Animal Services
Coweta County Animal Services, the county’s government-run animal shelter for lost, abandoned and homeless animals, offers pet adoptions. Pets can be viewed and adopted by appointment on Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Adoption fees for dogs and puppies are $55 to $120, and the fees for cats and kittens are $45 to $70. These fees include spay/neuter, a vet exam, vaccines, a microchip, a heartworm check for dogs and deworming.
To adopt a pet, call Coweta County Animal Services at 770-254-3735 during the hours of operation to make an appointment.
Coweta County Animal Services is at 91 Selt Road in Newnan. For more information, visit https://www.nchsrescue.org/resources.
West Georgia Mobile Vet
West Georgia Mobile Vet offers low-cost spay and neuter services for the West Georgia area, including Newnan, Peachtree City, Carroll County and Douglas County.
The mobile vet service also offers low-cost vaccines, testing, medications, health checks and treatments. Walk-in hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., first-come, first-served.
In addition, West Georgia Mobile Vet now offers dental cleaning for dogs and cats (no extraction for stable, firm teeth), bladder stone removal (X-ray must be provided), small tumor removal, ear hematoma surgery, cherry eye surgery, hernia repair, blood work, heartworm treatment and more.
The mobile vet offers house calls for multiple pets (no surgery), a $200 minimum. Emergency services are provided in Douglasville, if available.
To schedule an appointment for surgery, call or text 404-519-2861 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit http://www.westmobilevet.com or call 770-942-4984.
Consider Pet Insurance
The average amount spent on veterinary care per year is $1,386 for dogs and $890 for cats, based on the 2017-2018 APPA National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association. Those are steep costs for many families, so consider getting pet insurance to help manage routine and unexpected veterinary bills.
Animals can suffer from serious illnesses or get injured in accidents that can cost thousands of dollars for medical care. Investing in pet insurance can help pet owners handle these costs, but it’s important to note that advances in treatment have led to higher medical bills and consequently increases in pet insurance premiums, Kiplinger.com reports.
Pet owners can usually choose from three types of pet insurance coverage: accident and illness, accident-only and wellness plans. Accident and illness plans are the most popular pet insurance plans. Wellness plans cover preventive care visits and routine vaccinations, and they can be purchased as stand-alone policies or added onto an accident and illness policy. Pet owners are advised to find a policy that covers unexpected medical needs and to buy pet insurance when pets are young and healthy because most policies won’t cover preexisting conditions for older animals. An animal’s breed and zip code also influence pet insurance premiums, according to Kiplinger.com.
A 2019 report by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association found the average accident and illness premium for a dog was about $585 a year, and the average accident and illness premium for a cat was $350 per year.
To compare pet insurance policies, visit petinsurancereview.com and petinsurancequotes.com.
For more information, also visit https://humanepro.org/page/pets-by-the-numbers and https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/how-to-save-money/family-savings/601926/tame-the-cost-of-pet-care.
