About a month ago Tony, a dog, ruptured a disc and started fighting to breathe. His owner, Jane Phipps, rushed him to a veterinary hospital. He underwent surgery and spent 30 days on a ventilator.

Tony pulled through, although he still needs physical therapy.

And now Phipps needs $25,000 to cover her vet bill. So far, her only plan to pay it down is a yard sale. She's put more than $16,000 on a credit card.

"Some people think I'm a lunatic for spending that kind of money," said Phipps, 53, a nurse who reviews medical charts for an insurance company. "My priorities are my family, and he's a part of my family. ...

"The way the world works now ... the only person who really doesn't judge you and loves you unconditionally is a pet."

The bill shows how far Phipps was willing to go to maintain that relationship. As veterinary care has become more advanced, people have become willing to go to extraordinary lengths to care for their pets. The days are gone when there were basically two types of pet -- the healthy and the dead.

Even animal shelters and rescue organizations, which rely on donations to care for dozens of unwanted pets, try to raise thousands for just one. SAFE Haven for Cats, a North Raleigh no-kill shelter, sets aside about 10 percent of its annual $300,000 budget for the extraordinary medical bills needed to get some strays to a point where they can be adopted. Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue of Raleigh is trying to raise money to cover vet bills expected to exceed $12,000 for Phoenix, a dog hit by a car.

In Phipps' case, even a fellow dog owner wonders about the wisdom of spending such a sum.

"I love dogs, but I think that is a little much," said Aaron Robben, 35, an energy trader who was walking his dog, Atlas, on Sunday. "It'd be hard for me to justify that expense. They're still animals even though they start to feel like part of the family."

In 2005, consumers, veterinarians and farmers spent about $5 billion on animal medications alone, said Ron Phillips, vice president for legislative and public affairs for the Animal Health Institute, which represents the makers of animal health products. That number has steadily increased, but the biggest change, Phillips said, concerns who's spending the most money. About 10 years ago, 60 percent of the medication money was spent on livestock and 40 percent on pets or companion animals. Now, it's 60 percent for pets and 40 percent for livestock.

Many veterinarians and pet owners say that as long as there's a good chance for recovery, it's reasonable to put thousands of dollars into saving a pet -- how much is up to the owner.

"Instead of remodeling a kitchen, she'd rather plunk down $20,000 for her dog," said Dr. Terri DeFrancesco, the associate professor of critical care and cardiology who helped care for Phipps' dog at N.C. State. "He does have a good prognosis."

Tony's doctors hope that he will live at least another six years.

To some, the price is never too high.

Odo's story

In 2005, Gloria Haislip of Virginia Beach noticed that her 9-year-old pit bull, Odo, was having trouble walking. A specialist discovered a mass on his spinal column. An oncologist in Virginia Beach referred Haislip to the animal hospital at N.C. State. Odo had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

By May 2006, Haislip said, Odo was pain-free and happy. He had a little trouble walking, but she bought special equipment to help him.

By the summer, the cancer had returned.

Haislip had him euthanized July 19, 2006. All told, she had spent about $24,000 on Odo's treatment.

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