One of the leading reasons pets end up at animal shelters etc is that their owners can't afford to cover their medical costs. Dogs develop cancer just like humans do, many breeds are prone to joint problems, spinal injuries, etc, and the treatment costs often quickly grow to thousands of dollars and more. So yes, a lot of people who get a pet can't really afford to own a pet, they just don't know it yet. As a side note, if you want to avoid that being you, I recommend checking out Trupanion [0].
But everyone can afford a pet? Can afford to take care of them? Has the time? What about vacations and travel? You really can't imagine why someone would find this appealing?
