StrategyJessica Frisco Meet Lady, Brooklyn's cutest Ridgeback.
- Jessica Frisco, a healthcare professional living in Brooklyn, recently bought a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, Lady.
- In just the first few "magical months" with Lady, she realized she had shelled out more than $10,000 in 10 weeks on the dog's care.
- Frisco had imagined toys, bedding, and crates would be some of the most significant expenses, but these made up a surprisingly tiny fraction of Lady's overall costs.
- The biggest splurges were two emergency animal hospital visits, which included tests, ultrasounds, and an unexpected and costly surgery to remove a pair of underwear from the puppy's small intestine.
- Despite the stress, Frisco says that her puppy provides her with unconditional love - and that she's becoming a more confident dog mom every day.
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Everyone knows New York City is an expensive place for a person to live, but it may surprise you to know that my puppy in Brooklyn cost me $1,000 a week - and that's not even that uncommon. Any dog lover will admit that once you love a puppy, there's no end to what you'd do to keep them safe and happy.
The cost of owning a dog in Brooklyn shocked me, despite years of planning, saving, and making compromises to fit a dog into my busy lifestyle.
To prepare for getting a dog, I picked a pet-friendly apartment on a big park in Williamsburg. I enlisted the support of my boyfriend, family, and friends who lived nearby. I landed a good job at a nonprofit healthcare organization and carefully budgeted for the costs of a puppy.
But everyone thinks their plan is great until something goes wrong.
Over the first few magical months with Lady, I knew I was spending a lot, but I didn't realize I had shelled out more than $10,000 in 10 weeks until I combed through my credit card statements.
Here's how.