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| SAVING MONEY ON PET CARE |
These are tough economic times for people and
pets, and sadly, record numbers of animals are
being abandoned or surrendered at shelters
because owners can’t afford to keep their pets.
This web page will discuss some suggested ways
that you may be able to reduce the costs of
owning your companion animals.
While CoPAL offers these by way of information,
please be aware that offers and deals may
change over time, and you use these suggestions
at your own risk.
To put pet costs in perspective, Americans spent
an estimated $43.4 billion on their pets in 2008.
Owners of dogs spend an average of $1,425 per
year, with cat owners spending $990 annually.
Basically, owning a pet is an expensive
proposition — and it isn’t getting any cheaper.
Here are some of CoPAL’s tips to keep your pet in
good health while saving money.
1. Discount Coupons:
There are a number of ways that you can get
discount coupons to reduce the cost of pets
supplies. These include the following:
a. Manufacturers' Clubs. Clubs such as Costco’
s and BJ’s offer discount coupons (e.g., $5 off of
IAMs dog food) in store and on their web sites.
b. Retail Store Pet Clubs. By joining a pet store
club you may obtain rebates on future
purchases. Remember to keep your proof of
purchase and complete and mail the rebate
form.
c In-store Pet Coupons. Check weekly grocery
and box store specials for printed coupons.
d. Coupons On and Inside Pet Products.
e. ECoupons. Many discounts and money-
saving coupons on pet supplies and food can be
found on-line. The following are some places to
look:
• Pet food and supply retailers: merchants
such as PetsMart (www.Petsmart.com) Drs.
Foster and Smith (www.drsfostersmith.com), or
Petco (www.petco.com) offer a large variety of pet
supplies and foods on-line that include special
subscriber deals and coupons for on-line
shoppers.
• Coupon "warehouses": some web sites
specialize in listing coupons of third-parties (e.g.,
pet food manufacturers) for online use or printing
out. A few "pet specific" sites offering a money
saving coupons are:
Doggie Coupon (DoggieCoupon.com)- Coupon Cat
(www.couponcat.net) - Coupon Cabin - Pets.
Google 'pet coupons' or similar search terms to
search for more such sites.
• Pet food Manufacturers: Search Google for
your pet food manufacturer’s web site and you
may likely find free products and coupons.
However, you may first have to register or sign up
for the company’s newsletter.
2. Additional sources for discounted pet
products:
• Check out discounted pet products on store
shelves. When products have been opened or
haven’t sold, many stores will discount them by
20% or more, the discounts increasing over time.
• Veterinarians. Veterinarians often have free
samples of pet food and treats, especially for
puppies, along with money-saving coupons for
pet products.
• Discounted Pet Supplies. Check out
merchandise suppliers and wholesalers or
distributors of pet supplies and cut out the middle-
man. Check your phone book or Google to locate
one near your home. Also, several discount box
stores (e.g., Christmas Tree Shop) offer low-cost
pet supplies.
• On-line discounters and outlet stores
selling pet supplies (e.g., PetEdge).
• Web sites like Craigslist or Freecycle to
purchase or swap pet equipment, such as a crate
or a scratching post.
3. How to save money on your pet's vet bill.
(See Human's Society suggestions at http:
//www.humanesociety.
org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_v
eterinary_care.html
• Shop around for a vet.
Find an affordable veterinarian by asking friends,
posting the question on local pet forums, or
phoning your local humane society for a
recommendation. Don’t hesitate to ask for
available discount programs, such as a “multiple
pet discount”.
• Consider purchasing pet insurance, either
through an organization such as the ASPCA or by
checking on-line. Be careful however to
understand the costs of the insurance, including
co-payments and deductibles, limitations of such
insurance program such as restrictions on pre-
existing conditions and weigh these against the
likely benefits. Pet insurance may be the
difference in an emergency requiring expensive
care that will enable you to save your pet.
• Vaccinations: Vaccinations (like rabies,
DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis,
parainfluenza and parvovirus), bordetella (kennel
cough), are necessary to keep your pet healthy,
and certain vaccinations are required to obtain a
license for your pet.
• There are now several options in addition to
your veterinarian to obtain low-cost vaccinations.
These include:
1) Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics:
Several large pet supply stores like Petco host
walk-in Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics for dogs and
cats. Petco’s clinics are in store and staffed by a
licensed veterinarian who offers other
preventative care services. Another such
company is Luv My Pet. Locations for their low-
cost vaccination events can be found at their web
site.
2) local animal shelters may also offer low cost
pet clinics. But first check out the clinic’s services
offered, hours available, and whether there is an
income qualification.
3) Do a Google search or look in the Yellow
Pages to see if there is a veterinary college in
your area which may offer patient discounts. In
our area, Cummings School of Medicine at Tufts
in Grafton, MA may be helpful.
4) Check out foundations like the American
Animal Hospital Association's Helping Pets Fund
(www.aahahelpingpets.org) or breed-specific
rescue groups; these organizations may provide
veterinary care for pet-owning families in need.
• Medicines: Check out online stores like 1-
800-PetMeds, Entirely Pets, and PetCareRx and
their on-line coupons. You may even find your
vet will match these prices and you can avoid
shipping costs.
• CareCredit: CareCredit works like a credit
card, but is exclusive for veterinary care. Talk to
your veterinarian to see if CareCredit is an option
for your pet's care, but be careful to consider the
costs of such payment plan.
• Low cost spay/neuters: Spray and
neutering helps your pet lead a healthier life and
also avoids the costs of unwanted kittens and
puppies. See the chart below for available low-
cost programs and the list of locations of
available facilities.
• Be a Do-It-Your-Selfer: Learn from your
groomer, on –line or from your vet how to groom
your pet and trim it’s nails. Swap pet –sitting
services. Make your own pet toys. Be creative!
*******************************************************
CoPAL welcomes your comments and
suggestions on how to save money on pet
ownership that we may pass on to our readers.
Through pet savings, pet owners will be more
able to keep their four-legged family members at
home!
*****************Extra, Extra!!
Pet Care Expenses Tax Deduction, Proposed
Law
The United States Congress is currently
considering the proposed HAPPY ACT (Humanity
and Pets Partnered Through the Years). If
passed, this law will allow taxpayers owning
companion animals to take a federal tax
deduction of up to $3500 a year for pet expenses.
Introduced in Congress on July 31, 2009, as H.R.
3501, by Michigan Representative Thaddeus
McCotter, this law expresses our nation’s
concerns for promoting humane animal
treatment, rewarding positive animal care, and
recognizing the animal-human relationship.
HAPPY states: "The Human-Animal Bond has
been shown to have positive effects upon
people's emotional and physical well-being."
The law would amend the IRS Code to allow an
individual who owns a pet up to $3500 a year in
tax deductions for qualifying animal care
expenses.
Let your Congressperson know that, like CoPAL,
you support enactment of this law. By helping
the 63% of Americans who own companion
animals to reduce their pet expenses (similar to
deductions we can take for our children), this law
will enable more families to be able to afford to
keep their pets and thereby not overwhelm
further the animal shelters or cause the tragic
result of economic euthanasia.
Please speak up for our animals!
*********
Some of the more common PET FOOD
MANUFACTURERS'S web sites to look for
coupons are listed below:
• 9-Lives Web site 9-Lives Web site
• Absorbine Absorbine Veterinary Web site
• Alpo Alpo Dog Food Web site
• Arm & Hammer Pets Arm & Hammer Pets
Web site
• Aquari Yums Cat Treats Aquari Yums Cat
Treats Web site
• Beggin Strips Dog Treats Beggin Strips
Dog Treats Web site
• Beneful Purina Beneful Dog Food Web site
• Benny Bully's Benny Bully's Web site
Benny Bully's Free Samples
• Bil Jac Bil Jac Web site
• Bitz n Bonez Dog Treats Bitz n Bonez Dog
Treats Web site Bitz n Bonez Dog Treats Free
Sample
• Breeders Choice Breeders Choice Web
site
• Busy Bone Dog Treats Purina Busy Bone
Dog Treats Web site
• Canine Carry Outs Del Monte Canine
Carry Outs Web site
• California Natural California Natural Web
site
• Cat Chow Purina Cat Chow Web site
• Cesar Web site
• Chew Eezb Chew Eez Web site
• Chew Rific Dog Treats Purina Chew Rific
Dog Treats Web site
• Cycle Del Monte Cycle Web site
• Deli-Cat Cat Food Purina Deli-Cat Cat
Food Web site
• Deramaxx Deramaxx Web site
• Dog Chow Purina Dog Chow Web site
• Dog Gone Pain Dog Gone Pain Web site
Dog Gone Pain Free Sample
• Eukanuba Proctor & Gamble Eukanuba
Web site
• Fancy Feast Fancy Feast Web site
• Feline Pine Feline Pine Web site Feline
Pine Rebates
• Flint River Ranch Dog Food Flint River
Ranch Web site Flint River Ranch Free Sample
• Friskies Friskies Web site
• Gravy Train Gravy Train Web site
• Greenies Greenies Web site Greenies
Sample & Coupons
• Halo Halo Pets Web site
• Healthwise Healthwise Web site
• Hill's Pet Nutrition - Science Diet Hill's Pet
Nutrition Web site
• Hi Pro Purina Hi Pro Web site
• IAMS Proctor & Gamble IAMS Web site
• IHN IHN Web site IHN Sample Request
• Improve Improve Web site Improve Sample
• Innova Innova Web site
• Jerky Treats Jerkey Treats Web site
• Karma Organic Karma Organic Web site
• Kibbles-n-bits Kibbles-n-bits Web site
• Kibbles and Chunks Purina Kibbles and
Chunks Web site
• Kit 'n Kaboodle Purina Kit 'n Kaboodle
Web site
• Kitten Chow Purina Kitten Chow Web site
• Lambert Kay Lambert Kay Web site
Lambert Kay Offers Page
• Maxwell's Natural Pet Food Maxwell's
Natural Web site
• Meaty Bone Del Monte Meaty Bone Web
site
• Meow Mix Meow Mix Web site
• Mighty Dog Mighty Dog Web site
• Milk Bone Milk Bone Web site
• Moist & Meaty Moist & Meaty Web site
• Mother Nature Mother Nature Web site
• Nature's Recipe Nature's Recipe Web site
• Nature's Variety Nature's Variety Web site
• Nature Zone Nature Zone Pets Web site
• Newman's Own Pet Food Newman's Own
Web site
• Nutro Pet Products Nutro Products Web
site
• Nylabone Nylabone Web site
• Pedigree Pedigree Web site
• Pet Promise Pet Promise Web site
• Pounce Del Monte Pounce Web site
• Purfestions Del Monte Pounce
Purfestions Web site
• Purina Puppy Chow Purina Puppy Chow
Web site
• Purina Kittenwise Purina Kittenwise Web
site
• Purina Naturals Purina Naturals Contact
Purina Naturals Free sample
• Purina One Purina One Web site
• Purina Pro Plan Purina Pro Plan Web site
Purina Pro Plan free Trial
• Purina Snack Lovers Purina Snack Lovers
Club Web site
• Safe Guard Dewormer Safe Guard
Dewormer Web site
• Schmackos Schmackos Web site
• Scoopex Scoopex Web site (free sample)
• Secondnature Dog Litter System
Secondnature Web site
• Sheba Sheba Web site
• Skippy Skippy Web site
• Tidy Cats Tidy Cats Web site
• T Bonz Purina T Bonz Web site
• Triple Crown Triple Crown Web site*****
**********************************************
MASS STATEWIDE LOW COST SPAY
AND NEUTER PROGRAMS:
SPAYMASS hotline
(888) 495-SPAY or spaymass@mrfrs.org
A referral program for people seeking low cost
spay/neuter for cats and dogs in
Massachusetts. This hotline is open Mon-Fri
10am-4pm.
Stop the Overpopulation of Pets
(617) 571-7151 An organization dedicated
to providing accessible, low cost neuter and
vaccination services for privately owned and
feral cats.
MSPCA/MVMA Spay Neuter Assistance
Program (SNAP)
(617) 541-5007 A program that provides
discounted spay/neuter certificates through for
individuals with demonstrated economic
need. Certificates are accepted at nearly 200
participating veterinarians throughout
Massachusetts.
Animal Advocates
North Dartmouth, MA
508-991-7727
Low cost spay/neuter clinic.
Animal Rescue League of Boston
508-255-1030
877-590-SPAY toll free
617-426-9170
Various programs offered in Boston, Brewster,
Salem, and Dedham areas. They also have a
mobile clinic that visits many neighborhoods,
and they also accept a limited number of feral
cats.
Neponset Valley Humane Society
Norwood/Mansfield, MA
508-261-9924
Web: www.nvhumanesociety.org
A Helping Paw Inc
Buzzards Bay MA
508-743-8406
Northeast Animal Shelter
204 Highland Avenue
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-9888
Alliance for Animals
232 Silver Street
South Boston, MA 02127
617-268-7800 clinic
Low cost spay/neuter and vaccinations for
pets and ferals. Call for information.
Massachusetts SPCA/Angell Memorial Hospital
SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program)
Boston MA
617-522-7282
617-541-5007 for info
Assistance for pets of low income people at
participating area vets.
Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society
91 Bridge Road
Salisbury, MA
462-0760
Free spay/neuter for ferals.
Northeast Animal Shelter
204 Highland Avenue
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-9888
Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare Inc
Bolton MA (services located at Clinton MA)
978-779-8287
NEW HAMPSHIRE
N.H. Spay Line
Toll Free 1-800-990-SPAY
For residents of N.H., this service tries to help
people locate a low cost or free s-n program.
New Hampshire Spaying & Altering Service
8 Hutchins Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-224-1361 before 2 pm
New Hampshire Dept of Agriculture
APC Program
State House Annex
33 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-3697
Discounts for qualified low income families.
Call or write for information about APC.
Spay Program for Mother Cats
8 Fox Hill Road
Belmont, NH 03220
603-524-6432
You and your cat must meet various criteria to
qualify for this program. Call for information
Animal Allies
Manchester, NH
877-312-9595
603-228-6755
Helps people who have a large number of cats
or people who need help and do not qualify for
other programs. This organization does NOT
offer FREE services. They provide certificates
for discounts on s/n to people who qualify.
