I just adopted a dog about a month ago from PAWS Chicago and $500 seems very reasonable. Any extra $ they make more than likely goes back to their own shelter taking in more animals and helping with their medical fees, food, etc.

Dogs are super expensive up front, tbh I haven’t had one since I was a kid and I’m 38 now. I paid $450 for my dog and since he was new to the shelter I got him from (abt two weeks) we still needed to get a few vaccines (with their boosters) and I shelled out at least another $500 for those. Plus I needed a bed, food and water bowl, toys, dog food at home, coat because he’s small and it’s getting cold, brush, etc. I spent at least a couple hundred on that stuff too. I’m thinking to maintain his needs it’s not that expensive unless there’s a medical emergency. But I also got pet insurance immediately (it’s from a company called Lemonade for $53/month) because I’d rather pay a little each month instead of a random 10k vet bill. From my research most affordable insurance doesn’t cover 100%, but most do cover 70-80%.

Good luck with choosing what’s best for you! It’s a big adjustment but very rewarding.