The Best Credit Cards for Animal Lovers

Even if you haven’t been to nearby Dubuque for the DockDogs World Championships, the odds are you’ve seen clips of overjoyed-looking Labradors hurtling down a dock and leaping far out into the water in hot pursuit of a “bumper” thrown by their owner. Ring a bell?

Well, have you ever thought about how much time, effort, and money went into training that pooch? If you’re a pet owner you probably have some idea, given how much you put into taking care of your own dog, cat, bird, lizard – what have you. Interestingly, whether you compete in global animal competitions or simply like the companionship of a pet, one of the best ways you can save might be to simply reach for your wallet.

There is unprecedented value to be had on the credit card market these days, as issuers are pretty much throwing money at consumers who have above-average credit standing in the hopes of garnering their business. The right card can indeed save you hundreds of dollars via either attractive rewards or an extended zero percent introductory term. The trick is finding the right one, and that largely depends on two things: 1) Not allowing yourself to be influenced by branding and 2) Whether or not you currently have a credit card balance.

There may be some cards out there with pet-oriented branding, but that won’t do you much good if they don’t also offer great value. For example, the Animal Friends Credit Card and the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Credit Card are two charity rewards cards that might initially appear to be just what you’re looking for, but upon further inspection have below-average terms. It’s therefore preferable to seek out top-of-the-line cash rewards which you can attribute to your interests as you see fit. (Note: Unlike many other major retailers, pet supply stores like PetSmart and PetCo., don’t offer their own credit cards.)

With that said, the second deciding factor mentioned above is simple to explain. Those who don’t have existing credit card debt should gravitate toward rewards while those who do would be better served getting a 0% interest rate in order to save on finance charges.

 

Best Rewards Credit Cards for Dog Lovers

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (Best Initial Bonus): Chase gives new customers who charge at least $3,000 to this card during the first three months a $400 initial rewards bonus. Whether you use this free cash to support your favorite animal charity or subsidize the expenses you incur as a dog owner, it’s sure to go a long way.
  
  
• Blue Cash Preferred from American Express (Best for Ongoing Doggie Expenses): This is the best everyday rewards card on the market, as it offers 6% cash back at supermarkets, 3% at gas stations and department stores, and 1% everywhere else. The average dog owner spends around $330 on food and $110 on toys and grooming aids each year, according to a survey from the Animal Pet Products Association. If you can manage to get everything at the supermarket, the Blue Cash Preferred Card will save you over $25 annually solely on your dog-related expenses. Its $75 annual fee isn’t too big of a concern either, as you stand to get a $150 initial rewards bonus in return for spending $1,000 during the first three months.
   
• Capital One Venture Rewards: Generally regarded as the best overall travel rewards card on the market, the Venture Card essentially offers the miles equivalent of 2% cash back across all purchases as long as you redeem your miles for any travel-related expense. So, if you traverse the country for the dog-show circuit, this card could really help you subsidize your travel expenses. Plus, if you go international, you won’t incur added costs given that Capital One doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on any of its products.

 

Best 0% Credit Cards for Dog Lovers

• Slate Card from Chase (Best for Balance Transfers): This is what’s known as a free balance transfer offer, as it gives you 0% on transferred debt for the first 15 months and doesn’t charge either an annual fee or a transfer fee. As a result of these terms, it could save the average household – which currently has roughly $6,700 in credit card debt – more than $1,000 in fees and finance charges while expediting debt freedom (you can use a credit card calculator to determine how you stand to save).
  
  
• Citi Diamond Preferred Card (Best for Significant Upcoming Expenses): Various occasions necessitate shelling out a large lump-sum for a particular dog-related expense (e.g. medical care, obedience classes, erecting a fence). Since it’s not always possible to pay for such expenses in cash, a way to minimize the effect of interest can come in handy. The Citi Diamond Preferred Card offers 0% for the first 18 months and therefore gives you plenty of time to pay down what you owe without incurring unnecessary costs. It doesn’t have an annual fee that would eat into your savings either.

 

Final Thoughts

It’s important to reiterate that the aforementioned credit card offers require upper-echelon credit standing for approval, which means more than half of all consumers stand to qualify. If you aren’t one of them, don’t worry too much; the value of initial rewards bonuses and 0% intro rates doesn’t seem to be declining. You therefore have time to concentrate on improving your credit standing so that you can make being a dog lover as inexpensive as possible.

That’s certainly something to wag your tail about!

 

John Kiernan is the senior analyst for CardHub.com, a website that helps consumers find the best credit cards for their needs. He also has three awesome dogs at home: a Black Lab named Missy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Mix named Scooter, and a Yellow Lab Mix named Georgia.