What does it cost to foster a dog in the Rio Grande Valley?

You've seen the dog by the gas station for a week now. You want to take it in, but one question keeps stopping you: what will it cost? Here's the short answer, then the breakdown, using prices posted by Valley shelters and clinics.

The short answer

• Foster through a shelter or rescue: usually $0. The group covers food and medical care. You give the dog a home and your time.
• Take in a dog you found on your own: about $220 to $295 for basic vet care and a spay or neuter, plus food and supplies. A sick or injured dog can cost much more.

Where the money goes for a dog you found

1. The first vet visit: about $120

Here's a healthy adult dog's first round of care at the RGV Humane Society's monthly low-cost clinic in Harlingen, using its posted prices:

• Rabies vaccine: $13, plus $11 for the metal tag
• DHPPV vaccine (distemper, parvo, and more): $16
• Dewormer: $16
• Heartworm test: $20
• Microchip: $11
• One month of flea and tick prevention: $26
• One month of heartworm prevention: $7

Pre-registration is required, and dogs must ride inside the vehicle, not in the truck bed. These clinics handle routine care only. A dog with bad mange, an injury, or signs of parvo needs a full-service vet, and that bill can be much higher.

2. Spay or neuter: $100 to $175

This is the step that stops the next litter from ending up on the street.

• Palm Valley Animal Society, Edinburg: dogs start at $100. Registration opens at 10 AM on the 1st of each month and often fills within the hour.
• RGV Humane Society, Harlingen: $175. Some flat-faced breeds, like pugs and bulldogs, aren't accepted.

3. Food and supplies

Food, a leash and collar, a bowl, and a bed or crate. These vary a lot by the dog's size and what you already have at home.

How to pay less

• Foster for a shelter instead. Palm Valley Animal Society has said it provides everything foster parents need, including food and medication, and the only requirement is being 18. Sign up at pvastx.org. The RGV Humane Society in Harlingen also needs fosters, especially for puppies, mother dogs, and dogs with medical needs: (956) 556-5885.
• Use low-cost clinics. Our clinics page lists upcoming events around the Valley.
• Call a rescue first. Even when they're full, some can help with costs or advice. See our list of local rescues.

Before you start

1. Check for a microchip at a shelter or vet. The dog may have a family looking for it.
2. Call your city's animal services. Our local help page has numbers by city.
3. Keep every receipt.

Can't foster? You can still help.

Not everyone has a spare room or a yard. That's what Howlback is for. In the upcoming app, you'll be able to follow a foster dog from the street to a home and chip in toward its vet bills, food, and supplies. Fosters upload their receipts, every cost is checked, and they get paid back. A few dollars from enough neighbors covers that $13 rabies shot and more.

See a preview of the app, or sign up below to hear when it launches.