A Seattle couple is canceling their annual vacation so they can spend $7,000 on surgery for their 11-month-old Chihuahua mix. The procedure comes with no guarantee of full recovery, but without it, the dog will likely go lame fairly quickly.
The dilemma was discussed on “The Ramsey Show,” where hosts Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze walked through the emotional and financial sides of the decision. The caller, Tom, said he and his wife already have the money saved and won’t be using debt. Still, friends and neighbors have questioned whether it’s worth it.
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Is This For You Or For The Dog?
Ramsey didn’t start with the price tag. He started with the motive.
“Are we doing this for the animal and is it going to be in pain?” Ramsey asked. “Is this selfish on the human’s part?”
He explained that pet owners sometimes hold on too long because they can’t handle the loss. “I know a lady that put her dog through four years of chemo,” he said. “That was unfair to the dog.” In his view, love doesn’t justify prolonged suffering.
But Ramsey also made it clear that not every expensive procedure is unreasonable.
“Is $7,000 completely unreasonable on a one-year-old dog if it fixes it mostly and the dog is not going to be in pain?” he asked. “If the dog is healthy after this and you get 10 good years with the pup, and you got the $7,000, no, I don’t think you’re crazy then.”
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The key distinction: quality of life and financial stability.
When Ramsey asked whether Tom would put the surgery on a credit card, Tom answered no. “I’ve got the money and yeah, just, we’re going to do it,” he said.
That mattered.
“If you’re going to put it on a credit card? Nope. Sorry, you couldn’t afford the dog,” Ramsey said.
Cruze added that everyone has a different financial threshold when it comes to pets. “There is a spectrum of what people’s threshold is financially for an animal,” she said.
“We are dog people,” he said. “I cry every single time like a 10-year-old girl when we put a dog down.”
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In Tom’s case, the surgery could restore mobility and result in a full, active life. And because the couple has the cash, the decision doesn’t harm their long-term finances. Ramsey told him plainly, “You’re not crazy.”
The broader takeaway goes beyond pets. Big emotional expenses test whether your money plan is solid. When you’ve saved, avoided debt and aligned your spending with your values, you have options. Canceling a vacation instead of borrowing money reflects priorities, not recklessness.
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