How Are Artists Affording Pet Care?
From $1,600 dental bills to $16,000 emergency procedures, artists and culture workers weigh in on the rising cost of caring for their closest companions.
Imagine this — you make a significant sale that covers your apartment and studio rent for the month and a chunk of some credit card debt, and before you know it, your beloved dachshund stops eating and suddenly needs a couple of teeth extracted. In the blink of an eye, you’re another $1,400 (at best) in the hole you’ve been persistently digging yourself out of. Even worse, the problem spreads, and the dog needs more teeth removed within months.
Animal companions may be some of the most meaningful bonds of a lifetime, but it’s no walk in the park to account for exorbitant veterinary care while running on the check-to-check treadmill. A 2025 study by PetSmart Charities found that 94% of responding veterinarians in the United States and 96% in Canada said that pet owners’ finances often or sometimes bar them from providing recommended care for sick, injured, and aging pets. A September report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the cost of veterinary services increased by 5.9% between 2025 and 2026, far outpacing the US inflation rate of 3.4% this year.
So how are animal-loving artists and cultural workers managing with soaring prices as private equity gobbles up the veterinary sphere, and how are they budgeting for financing medical care to do right by their pets?
For Sjournee Quaidoo, a freelance soft goods stylist, dance professional, and staff member at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in Washington Heights, pet insurance seemed like the right place to start at first.
“I thought it worked kind of like our system of healthcare, but there's like a higher level of coverage for human insurance than there is for pet insurance,” Quaidoo told Hyperallergic. Based between Minneapolis and New York City, the arts professional adopted a bite-sized Chihuahua-Yorkie mix named Lido early this summer, and checked all her boxes in preparation for the new family member.
