As with many other things in life including photography we all, if we are responsible, operate within the paramenters of responsibility. You wrote "It may be worth it" For Scrupes, his dog is worth it to him. I am sure that he is aware of the costs but the benefits his dog brings to him and his family outweight these costs. If you feel that the benefits of having a dog is not worth the costs, then whatever dog that you own or consider owning would probably be better off if it lived somewhere else. And if you think a dog is expensive, have you looked at what it costs to raise a kid these days?