<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3rY2hM_0vlajG2S00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3rY2hM_0vlajG2S00" width="980" height="634" ><figcaption>Eddie Davis</figcaption></figure><p>If you are a dog owner, I am sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.</p><p>Having a dog gets expensive. My family loves Sheba and would do anything for her.</p><p>At age 13, that includes a pharmacy bill higher than the four of us combined and a prescription diet that puts us in the Gold Club on Chewy.com.</p><p>Our vet, Julie, at the Humane Society of Ocean City, has had Sheba on meds and special food for 3 or 4 years now, and, it's only because of her excellent care that Sheba has lived this long.</p><p>She's a good girl and we love her, but dog ownership ain't cheap.</p><p>From what I am reading, it's even more expensive in New Jersey than most other states.</p><h2>Study Shows the Cost of Owning a Dog in New Jersey</h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/pet-insurance/cost-of-owning-a-dog-study/">MarketWatch</a> from the Wall St. Journal, the cost of owning a dog in New Jersey over the life of the animal averages $32, 947.</p><p>That's about $5000 more than the national average when you compare cost data across 11 metrics — things like dog food and supplies, pet insurance, and boarding costs — to discover the true cost of owning a dog in every state.</p><p>New Jersey ranks in the top five most expensive states to own a dog.</p><p>In three states in the Northeast (New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey), the average lifetime cost of owning a Labrador retriever exceeds $32,900.</p><p>California: $35,452</p><p>New York: $34,248</p><p>Massachusetts: $33,318</p><p>New Jersey: $32,947</p><p>Washington: $32,894</p><p><a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/pet-insurance/cost-of-owning-a-dog-study/">According to MarketWatch</a>, these are the five states where the average lifetime cost of owning a dog is lowest:</p><ol><li>Oklahoma: $24,855</li><li>Mississippi: $25,104</li><li>Indiana: $25,479</li><li>Nebraska: $25,662</li><li>Louisiana: $25,760</li></ol><h2>35 Great Places to Have Breakfast in South Jersey</h2><h2>8 of Egg Harbor Township's Best Cheesesteaks</h2></div></body>

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New Jersey’s Among Most Expensive States For Owning a Dog

If you are a dog owner, I am sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Having a dog gets expensive. My family loves Sheba and would do anything for her. At age 13, that includes a pharmacy bill higher than the four of us combined and a prescription diet that puts us in the Gold Club on Chewy.com.