Cancel Our Vacation For Our Dog's Surgery?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: Cancel Our Vacation For Our Dog's Surgery?
Date: February 4, 2026
Host(s): Dave Ramsey & Joe (Ramsey Network)

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Overview

In this episode, Dave Ramsey and co-host Joe answer a caller's question about prioritizing a costly surgery for their family's young dog over a planned vacation. The discussion goes deeper than just the financial implications, exploring personal values, priorities, and compassion toward pets—while framing choices in the context of responsible stewardship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Situation: Canceling Vacation for Pet Surgery

• Caller’s Dilemma:
  • The caller and his wife decided to cancel their vacation to pay for a $7,000 surgery for their 11-month-old chihuahua mix.
  • Friends and neighbors reacted with skepticism; the caller asks for validation or perspective.
• Caller: “My 11 month old pup needs an operation that’s going to run about 7,000 bucks... am I missing something? I cannot see not doing this.” (00:06)

2. The Financial Reality

• Direct Question:
  • Joe asks, “Do you guys have the $7,000?” (00:42)
  • Caller confirms they do; it is not debt-financed.
• Dave’s Stance:
  • If you can’t afford the care, “you couldn’t afford the dog.” (04:31)
  • “If you got the $7,000, you can put on a credit card. Nope. Sorry. You couldn’t afford the dog.” (04:31)

3. Ethical Considerations: For You or For the Dog?

• Who Benefits Most:
  • Dave urges the caller to consider motivations: “Are we doing this for the animal and is it going to be in pain?... Is this selfish on the human's part?” (01:13)
• Limits:
  • Recounts a story of a dog put through years of chemo, suggesting it was unfair to the animal:
    "She was doing that because she didn't want to lose the dog. But the poor dog suffered." (02:53)
• Basic Principle:
  • "Dogs are not humans. And so it's a different measure as far as I'm concerned." (03:09)

4. Thresholds and Personal Values

• Cultural Perspective:
  • Dave’s wife, raised on a farm, has a much lower threshold for spending on animal care.
    “My wife grew up on the farm and let me tell you, 100% chance that dog ain't gonna make it.” (04:39)
• Personal Stories:
  • Dave confesses, “I cry every single time like a 10 year old girl when we put a dog down.” (02:53)
  • Joe adds, “When we put ours down, you cried.” (03:18)
• Willingness Varies:
  • “There is a spectrum of what people’s threshold is for an animal, a pet. Right. Financially.” (05:54)
  • George Kamel, another Ramsey personality, is cited as even more willing to spend on dogs.

5. The Main Guidance

• $7,000 Not Unreasonable—IF:
  • It's a young dog with mostly positive prognosis.
  • Dog avoids pain and lives a good life post-surgery.
  • The money is available, not borrowed.
  • The decision isn’t made for selfish reasons at the dog’s expense.
• Dave Ramsey:
  • “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.” (04:15)
  • “Just don’t suffer as long as you’re not hurt. As long as you’re not being a selfish, immature person and... harming the animal.” (05:29)

6. Emotional Attachment

• On Loving Dogs:
  • “I like my dog more than I like a lot of people.” (06:53)
  • Pet loss is hard: Jade Warshaw's experience putting down her dog is mentioned.
• Family Culture:
  • All Ramsey adult children have dogs and experience grief when saying goodbye.
  • “All three Ramsey kids have a dog, and we have a dog, and we love our dogs. And all three of us cry when we put them down.” (07:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dave Ramsey:

  • “Are we doing this for the animal and is it going to be in pain? Is this selfish on the human’s part?” (01:13)
  • “If you got the $7,000, you can put on a credit card. Nope. Sorry. You couldn’t afford the dog.” (04:31)
  • “As long as you’re not being a selfish, immature person and you’re doing this and harming the animal... you’re not crazy.” (05:29)
  • “I cry every single time like a 10 year old girl when we put a dog down.” (02:53)
  • “I like my dog more than I like a lot of people. I mean, you know, it’s really. I do.” (06:53)
  • “You’re not crazy. Just don’t suffer as long as you're not hurt. As long as you're not being a selfish, immature person and you're doing this and harming the animal.” (05:29)

• Joe:

  • “There is a spectrum of what people’s threshold is for an animal, a pet—financially.” (05:54)

• Fun Moment:

  • Playful banter about the legend of Dave’s £12 dog that supposedly keeps bears away:
    “I think the legend is true because I’ve not seen a bear since I got her...” (07:22)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:06] – Caller shares situation and the decision to cancel vacation for dog’s surgery.
• [01:13] – Dave and Joe discuss motivations: for the dog or the owner?
• [02:53] – Dave recounts a story about animal suffering and the danger of selfish choices.
• [04:15] – Dave details when spending $7,000 is reasonable for a dog.
• [05:54] – Discussion about the varying financial thresholds in different families and cultures.
• [06:53] – Candid talk about deep emotional attachment to pets.
• [07:56] – Ramsey family culture of dogs and the inevitability of pet loss.

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Conclusion

Dave Ramsey and Joe reassure the caller that their decision isn’t “crazy” as long as it’s financially feasible and not at the expense of the animal’s long-term wellbeing. They emphasize the personal and cultural differences in pet care spending while cautioning listeners not to act out of selfishness that prolongs a pet’s suffering. The conversation is peppered with personal stories and compassion, maintaining the balance between practical money advice and genuine humanity.

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Final Thought (Dave Ramsey, 04:15):
“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.”

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller]

My 11 month old pup needs an operation that's going to run about 7,000 bucks. And so my wife and I have mutually decided to cancel our vacation this year and we're going to get her taken care of. All my friends and neighbors that I've told about this, just look at me and shake their heads as if they don't agree. You know what, what do you think? Am I missing something? I cannot see not doing this.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay.

[Joe]

I'd say a couple of things. Tom. Do you guys have the 7,000?

[Caller]

Yes.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay.

[Joe]

And is the surgery. Is there a guarantee at the end?

[Caller]

There's. There's no guarantee. But the guarantee without it she will go lame fairly quickly.

[Joe]

Is your. Is it a. Is it a bulldog?

[Caller]

No.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Caller]

No, she's a chihuahua mix.

[Joe]

Okay. I was gonna say our. Our George camel just spent.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah.

[Joe]

A sizable amount more than I think what you're about to spend on his and his ended up in a wheelchair. His. His dog. Really? Yeah. He's in a wheelchair right now.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. Well, we've been. We've been picking on George about it, so. But. Oh yeah, but good naturedly. We love Georgia in down, but he's fun about it. But. So okay, first thing is the Ramsey's are unbelievable dog lovers. Okay. So my opinion is skewed. I mean, laughingly, I could say if it was a cat. No way. Right? I'm kidding. But no. So I'm kidding. That's a joke. Okay. But the. But I love my little dog. I walk three miles with her in the morning and the thing I run into with people on this question, and I've had this question over 30 years, several times or something like it is. The first thing is, are we doing this for the animal and is it going to be in pain? Is this selfish on the human's part? So for instance, I know a lady that put. I know a lady that put her dog through four years of chemo. That was unfair to the dog.

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[Caller]

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[Dave Ramsey]

Ramsey that was unfair to the dog, in my opinion, okay? She was doing that because she didn't want to lose the dog. But the poor dog suffered, okay? And you know, that's harsh as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't do that to a dog I love. But I cry every single time like a 10 year old girl when we put a dog down.

[Joe]

When we put ours down, you cried.

[Dave Ramsey]

I did. I came over and visited yours the day before she went. Before Nala went to heaven. Yeah. And all dogs do go to heaven. There's no question. So it's a theological fact. But so you know, that's not the question. The thing is, number one is the dog. Are you doing this for you or for the dog? Because I could fall into the category if I'm not real careful. I don't want, I don't want to lose my dog, you know, I mean, I love them and so I'll do anything and. But that's not fair to the dog. And because these are. Dogs are not humans. And so it's a different, it's a different measure as far as I'm concerned. You ask our opinion. So anyway, What. But 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 because you are selfish as a human to keep it around. If the dog walks with a limp and hurts the rest of its life because you did this and you didn't have the courage to make a call, that's not fair to the dog. But if this, if the dog is healthy after this and you get 10 good years with the pup, you know, or whatever after this, because of this, the pup has a great life after that. And you got the $7,000. No, I don't think you're crazy. Then if you got the $7,000, you can put on a credit card. Nope. Sorry. You couldn't afford the dog.

[Caller]

No, I've got the. I've got the money and yeah, just. We're gonna do it.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. You see what I'm saying though? But yeah, I mean, I understand that because it depends on where your neighbor grew up, Right? My wife grew up on the farm and let me tell you, 100% chance that dog ain't gonna make it. Okay. She's got, she's not. Does not have this. Yeah, yeah. She's more. She does not dog crazy like I am. Right. So this $7,000. Nope, nope, not happening.

[Joe]

Spent a crazy amount on Maggie's hips.

[Dave Ramsey]

I did, but I did it in spite of your mother. Yeah. And I got. And that dog had 10, 12 good years. You know, we did spend some money on that dog that was a golden retriever, had bad hips. Okay. And as a pup, we had to do the hips. And so it was. It was expensive, but. And it was a pain in the butt, but the dog was a great. It's one of the best dogs I ever had. So anyway, all that to say, yeah, but you're not crazy. Just don't suffer as long as you're not hurt. As long as you're not being a selfish, immature person and you're doing this and harming the animal. You know what I'm saying?

[Caller]

No. No.

[Dave Ramsey]

And so this is for all the people that are trying, that are going to hate me after this. So just get in line. All you cat people get in line right behind the dog. People that get in line behind the credit card people to get in line. It's a long line around the block.

[Joe]

Yeah. There is a. There's a spectrum of what people's threshold is for an animal, a pet. Right. Financially.

[Dave Ramsey]

And your mother's is much lower because animals come and go on the farm.

[Joe]

And George, I think, is even past you, Dave, I think our George Campbell.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, George is. George is over our line. Yeah, he's over my line.

[Joe]

George will do anything for those dogs.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. And so it's where you fall.

[Joe]

Personal value, where you want to put your money. Make sure you have the money and don't.

[Dave Ramsey]

And be a kind person that doesn't cause an animal to hurt for your selfish. Because you're selfishly weak and can't go through the pain of doing the right thing.

[Joe]

Right.

[Dave Ramsey]

That's a lack of courage on the human's part, and that's unfair to the animal. That's inhumane as far as I'm concerned. And I see people do that because they're just like, well, you can't get rid of whatever. And we get. We get. Because we all get so attached to them. Oh, my gosh. I like my dog more than I like a lot of people. I mean, you know, it's really. I do. We do get attached to them.

[Joe]

So, Dave, big dog, small dog.

[Dave Ramsey]

I like them all. I really do. I like dogs. And Jade lost. Jade lost hers a few weeks ago. I know she'd had him for 12 years or something. Big old Rottweiler there, and they had to put him down.

[Joe]

They're part of the family.

[Dave Ramsey]

He just couldn't. He couldn't get up one morning. Yeah, it's awful. And. Yeah, it's just.

[Joe]

Dad's dog now is a little. What is Bella?

[Dave Ramsey]

She's a bear dog.

[Joe]

No, she's not a bear dog.

[Dave Ramsey]

She's legendary. Yeah, this. This breed keeps away bears. And I think the legend is true because I've not seen a bear since I got her, so I'm pretty sure. Yeah, she's £12.

[Joe]

Just know. We all hear. Bella. Bella. Bella. Where's Bella? Like dad, she's. She's in the other room. Just go. Go get her. Go get her.

[Dave Ramsey]

They give me a hard time. The whole family. The whole family on vacation. This is on vacation.

[Joe]

Vacation. Just.

[Dave Ramsey]

No, that's not true. It's not true. But yeah, it's funny.

[Joe]

We love our dogs, though.

[Dave Ramsey]

We are dogs.

[Joe]

But you're not crazy. You're not crazy.

[Dave Ramsey]

All three Ramsey kids have a dog, and we have a dog, and we love our dogs. And all three of us cry when we put them down. And that's the way it is. And it's part of. You're not. You're not. Unless something really bad happens to you, you're gonna outlive them regardless. So you better get better. Get that as part of the program. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your life.