How I’m combating unexpected pet care costs with my VentureOne card

On the surface, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a travel card. Under the surface, it’s a flat-rate card with a surprisingly good rewards structure that’s travel-optional.

Four years ago, I took a huge leap and adopted my first dog ever, a 3-year-old rottweiler-Labrador mix that had a big smile and surprisingly calm demeanor named Kobe (yes, like the basketball player).

Before, I thought my biggest money concern when owning a dog would be paying for potential professional training sessions or stays at dog kennels when I was out of town.

But from the moment of adoption, I was quickly proven wrong.

The true cost of pet ownership

Owning a pet is an expensive and long endeavor, with the average American pet owner spending $4,800 on their pets in 2023. And, like most of them, I don’t see myself cutting back, as almost everything bought for Kobe is essential. Still, the cost will look different depending on your pet. Here are some factors that work in and out of my favor:

Factors In My Favor

• I own a dog. Dogs are the most popular pets in America, making up 44 percent of households with pets. This means that their care, food and toys are much more accessible than more exotic pets.
• I have a great support system. My family loves Kobe and his temperament, which means they often don’t mind watching him or helping to take care of him. Once, I had to travel for a month, and the only cost I had to worry about was food, thanks to my brother who watched him.
• My dog is healthy and calm. My dog doesn’t show aggression toward other dogs, he’s calm and quiet (beyond the occasional package delivery that he’s sure is a pending intruder) and he has no predisposed health problems. All of these factors help keep his medical costs lower.

Factors Working Against Me

• My dog is big. Kobe weighs 95 pounds and is 30 inches tall, which means he often falls into the “large to extra-large” category. Everything from bedding and housing to food and medicine costs more than if I had adopted a smaller dog.
• My dog is an “aggressive” breed. Rotties, while popular and well-loved, can cause a lot of damage if they bite something. While this hasn’t affected me, other owners of so-called aggressive breeds can wind up paying more for expenses like insurance and housing.
• My dog is older. I adopted Kobe in his post-puppy stage. Now, he’s seven years old, and — because of his size — he’s close to being considered a senior dog. When that happens, the price of his medical care will go up.

Why I use the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

When it comes to my go-to card, I’m always quick to whip out my Capital One VentureOne Rewards card for Kobe’s bills. On the surface, this seems like an odd card to use for pet care, but I find that it’s actually very useful.

I’d had the card for years by the time I adopted Kobe, even though traveling had taken a backseat for me. With the card’s flat-rate rewards, it was easy to start using it again and earn points on purchases that would otherwise go unrewarded. Plus, those points could go to future trips, statement credits to cover expenses or Shop with Points with Amazon, where I tend to buy his favorite dental treats.

What I use my VentureOne card for

Taking all of Kobe’s expenses into consideration, I make sure to use my credit cards very carefully when it comes to his needs. Here’s how I use my VentureOne card to cover his costs:

Vet bills

The king of the pet owner bills. While Kobe’s annual exam itself is relatively inexpensive, everything else can be quite high in price. For me, the average vet visit costs between $500 to $700 because of vaccinations and medicine, and I go twice a year.

It’s not the easiest expense, and it’s not one I want to take on directly. Because of this, I tend to use my VentureOne to give myself a little time to pay it off and to use the rewards to offset any interest I accrue, thanks to the card’s flat rate of 1.25X points on any purchases outside of travel bookings with Capital One Travel.

However, the points value goes up if I transfer the points to a valuable travel partner. Bankrate values these miles at 1.7 cents each, which is not quite up to 2 percent cash back like other flat-rate cash back cards but much closer than before.

Food and treats

I get Kobe’s food and treats delivered monthly, so it’s a recurring and predictable expense. Considering that I don’t want any delay, it’s less stressful for me to put it on automatic payments with my VentureOne and pay it off with my monthly bill. This keeps things simple and straightforward, which I appreciate.

Both categories would usually be overlooked by a category rewards card, earning only 1 percent, but with my flat-rate card I’m guaranteed rewards. If I don’t transfers the points, I’ll earn $1.25 for every $100, which doesn’t sound like a lot but can quickly add up.

What I don’t use my VentureOne card for

While my VentureOne is a great tool for covering major or predictable expenses, I don’t see it as a necessity for everything. Some of the costs I don’t mind paying for out of pocket include:

• Grooming
• Bedding
• Toys
• Collars, apparel and leashes

All of these are either adjustable costs or expenses that aren’t recurring. Bedding and collars need to be replaced every now and then, and grooming needs to happen regularly, but these costs are adjustable to my personal schedule. After a few standard toys, it becomes a splurge — if I need to budget for any of these items or just feel like spoiling my dog, I can do so at my leisure.

The bottom line

Like most experienced pet owners, I take Kobe’s care very seriously. This means practicing awareness of my finances so I can meet all his needs.

While there are always going to be unexpected costs with pet ownership, it helps to do proper research to understand your pet’s standard needs. Then, you can plan the financial tools you’ll use to ease the burden — even if they’re not the ones everyone expects.