A woman who bought a puppy from Craigslist has ended up paying over $10,000 in vet bills, but she told Newsweek she wouldn't change a thing about her best friend.
Kailah Pink, 28, lives in California with her partner and their three-year-old Dalmatian, Bobbie, who they took in during the pandemic when Pink was working from home, having "always dreamed of having a Dalmatian."
They found an ad for a litter of puppies on Craigslist, and instantly fell in love with the second-smallest in the litter, little girl Bobbie, and drove an hour to pick her up.
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Pink had researched the breed, and was aware of and prepared for their high energy and potential health issues, but nothing could have prepared them for Bobbie.
Just two days after getting her, Bobbie ate a bee—which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Pink told Newsweek that while they were at the vet: "We found out she had a bacteria called giardia which comes from drinking water with bacteria in it before we got her, which could have eventually made her really sick."
"She also broke a toe the first time we let her run into an open field when we visited my boyfriend's parents in Illinois for the first time," she added.
And when they got her spayed, already an expensive procedure, her high-energy came back quickly, and she ended up bursting her stitches, "costing $2,000 in an emergency surgery on top of the $1,000 spent to get her spayed just a few days prior."
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Pink's life with her expensive pet has now gone viral as she detailed some of her costs in a video to her TikTok account @kailahpink, which has close to 300,000 views since being shared on August 20.
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A slideshow starting with the pair on a hike showed the words: "I paid $1,000 for a Dalmatian on Craigslist and here's how it went."
It showed the tiny puppy curled up on a bed, when she ate a bee and was found to have giardia, being obsessed with food, hating loud noises, and her vet bills reaching astronomical highs—but also showed the sweeter moments, with Bobbie loving car rides, having "judging" facial expressions, and "making stank faces toward me."
And TikTok users responded in a big way, with one commenter writing: "LOL what we do for fur babies," and another reassuring Pink "At least she still has that cute puppy face."
"You need to claim them on your taxes," another laughed, while one thanked Pink for "taking such good care of her."
Bobbie, as a Dalmatian, also requires a low-purine diet as she was prone to urinary tract infections and kidney stones, so rather than organ meat, the couple feed their pup "chicken eggs, quail eggs, lamb, chicken, salmon, duck and veggies," which costs the family an extra $15 — $20 a week, with Pink preparing her meals from scratch.
Bobbie is allergic to beef and turkey, and got sick from playing with other dogs at the dog park, and along with her illnesses, injuries and swathes of vaccinations, Pink estimates she has spent "a little over $10,000 as a conservative estimate" in vet bills for Bobbie.
And on top of all that, Bobbie has a habit of "eating my most expensive shoes, including Chanel and Christian Louboutins"—but doesn't bother chewing anything not made out of "genuine leather."
Despite it all, having Bobbie is "absolutely" worth it, Pink, who also has an Instagram dedicated to her dog, @billiondollarbobbie, told Newsweek.
"She's my best friend. She wakes me up at 7 a.m. for breakfast and waits patiently while I prepare it before she goes outside. She's a socialite at the dog park and regularly has three to four dogs chasing after her.
"She cuddles me at night and is the most smart and mischievous dog I've ever met. I take pride in treating her like a princess because who doesn't want princess treatment?
"Things might not always be easier but I'll make sure she lives the happiest and longest life possible."
That said, Pink added": I would definitely recommend pet insurance starting from when you get your puppy."
Dalmatians like Bobbie were the 47th most popular breed of dog in 2023, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Described by the AKC as dignified and reserved guard dogs, they are loyal and loving toward their owners, and a popular choice for active families thanks to their high energy.
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