Here's How Much It Costs To Own A Dog In Virginia

VIRGINIA — Saturday is National Dog Day. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for the family pooch, is there? In Virginia, the evidence is in the nearly $30,000 we spend over a dog’s lifetime to provide everything from essential care and to luxurious indulgences.

The math is courtesy of MarketWatch, a publication of The Wall Street Journal, which analyzed the lifetime cost of adding a dog to the family — about $28,800 nationally — across 11 metrics, including veterinary care, dog food and supplies, grooming, pet insurance and boarding costs.

A couple of caveats: Costs vary by breeds — the MarketWatch team looked at the costs of owning a Labrador retriever, Americans’ favorite dog. Also, the higher the cost of living, the higher the cost of owning a dog. Of the 15 most expensive states to own a dog, all but one are located on the West Coast or in the Northeast. Read more on the methodology.

Virginia is the 15th most expensive state to own a bigger breed dog, according to MarketWatch. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Puppy cost: $1,050 (cost assumes the dog was acquired as a puppy that the owner has pet insurance and includes vaccines; spay or neuter operations, preventative medicine for heartworms, fleas and ticks; and general supplies)
• Annual cost: $2,568
• Lifetime cost: $29,300

MarketWatch said puppy care costs Americans an average of $199 for vaccines; $298 for spay or neuter operations; $184 for preventative medicine (heartworms, ticks, fleas, etc.); and $356 for general supplies, including leashes, bowls, crates and pet beds).

The analysis also showed Americans spend about $2,524 a year in recurring pet costs, according to the MarketWatch team’s analysis. That includes an average of $447 for pet food, $221 for toys and treats, $681 for boarding costs (assuming 15 days a year), $193 for grooming; $510 for pet insurance; $65 for an annual vet checkup; and $407 for emergency veterinary care.

Another study this year, by Forbes Advisor, found that 66 percent of U.S. households have a pet of some sort, up from 56 percent in 1988. Some 65.1 million households own a dog, and among them, 85 percent consider the pooch part of the family.

The Forbes analysis found that, on average, households with dogs spend about $912 a year for their care, including $399 for food, $367 for vet care, $79 for toys, $99 for grooming and $28 for incidentals. That analysis did not distinguish between breeds or take into account the difference in the cost of owning a large or small dog.

Forbes Advisor based its report on its own business and survey data; industry data from the American Pet Products Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2018 and 2022 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook; and report, North American Pet Health Insurance Association: 2022 State of the Industry Report.