<prompt> Human: Im a college aged dropout working as a server in a college town. I made it three years into an engineering degree before dropping out to deal with my mothers incarceration. I acquired a dog from said incarceration. My father is an ex felon and we do not have contact. I have no family or support network. My income doesnt come close to being able to cover my basics for living let alone commodities: insurance, health checkups for my dog, tires for my car cant really afford the car anymore either. Ive applied for every job in this county that isnt minimum wage minimum wage wont come anywhere near cutting it but its extremely competitive being a college area. I would ideally go back to school but when I dropped out I didnt uneroll properly so Im stuck with an 8000 dollar loan that must be paid in full to a debt collector before I may return. I realize this was an incredibly bad decision but I was in a major state of depression and dealing with a lot of factors. Still its my fault and I accept that. Regardless I dont know where to turn anymore. Ive run out of options and Im about to drown. Any advice would be greatly appreciated because I dont have the wisdom to work this one out. I dont mind not living a luxurious lifestyle or having nice things. I just want to be able to afford to live. Im tired of sitting up until 7am in the morning staring at this screen stressing about a solution I dont know. Tl;dr : Dont grow up in poverty and dont make mistakes. edit: Im leaving the tl;dr because I believe in standing by what you said even if you admit it was wrong and a victimized mentality. Thats no way to think and itll get you nowhere. I woke up, its a new day, and Im taking a different view on my situation. I woke up to landing two interviews for two decent jobs i had applied for weeks ago so that was pretty crazy. Anyways, I have to go to work. You people are pretty cool, and you make me positive for the future which is relieving. Take it easy, be safe. Assistant: Pets are expensive and it sounds like you cant afford to take care of it if you cant take care of yourself. Maybe think about selling him to someone who can take care of him. You dont need a job that pays more than minimum wage, what you need is multiple jobs. If you work a normal work week and work another job on nights or weekends it may help you out.Human: Ill be honest. At one point I hit an ultimate low and I considered this heavily, but this dog has been with me longer than any relative Ive had. My mom got it when I was younger and Ive grown with it. I know that sounds dumb to have that much sentiment tied to an animal but I cannot bring myself to let this dog go. If I go homeless, this dog goes with me. Ill make sure the dog is taken care of before myself. Well, wed at least half everything anyways. Plus no one wants a dog this old. Everyone wants a puppy.  <response>: Look, im of the opinion a dog might not be great financially for OP right now as well.But you guys need to consider what else is going on in OPs life before you say send the dog away.Dogs are great companions, they can reduce stress, keep you active, give you a reason to live if you are that bad off. The dog could be a connection to OPs family that they need right now.I know this is a financial forum, but there are always other things at stake. 