Introduction

Robert Wright for The New York Times

Veterinary medicine has made big leaps in recent years, which is great news for ailing dogs and cats — but raises some tough questions for humans. With the availability of treatments like bone-marrow transplants and heart stents, it is now easy to spend $10,000 to $25,000 on medical procedures for a pet.

Knowing that many humans die of preventable illnesses, or even considering that many dogs and cats are euthanized in overcrowded animal shelters, can a person justify spending that much money to prolong one animal’s life? If so, is it ethical to have a pet if you cannot afford such treatments?