What’s the Cost of Owning a Dog in Missouri Over Their Lifetime?

My family has been fortunate over the years to have several dogs as pets. My parents referred to them as another child and they weren't wrong especially financially as the cost of owning them over a lifetime amounts to a small fortune.

There's a newly-updated ranking from Marketwatch comparing how much it costs to own a dog in each state and I'm not really interested in the comparison, but I did take notice of the numbers they shared about dog ownership in Missouri.

Before I share the totals they came up with, what do you think the cost of owning a dog in Missouri would amount to over the life of the animal factoring in food, veterinarian bills and daily dog stuff?

If the map isn't showing up on your device, here's what they said about owning a dog in Missouri.

• Cost for care while they're a puppy - $989
• Cost for care during adult dog years - $2,348
• Cost over a lifetime - $26,817

To quote Scooby Doo "Zoinks!"

The good news in this report is dog ownership in Missouri is lower compared to almost all other states as it ranks 34th in America for being expensive to have a dog.

Is it worth it? I'd almost guarantee that every dog owner would say a big ole yes to that one.