| People searching for their next dog or puppy have | | | | animals. Often the rescues and shelters take in dogs |
| asked, "why are adoption fees charged for rescue | | | | and puppies from out of state shelters because |
| dogs and puppies?" Another similar question asked is, | | | | those shelters are seriously over populated. To save |
| "why are adoption fees sometimes expensive, when | | | | the dogs and puppies from a terrible fate, your local |
| rescued dogs are 'homeless pets?" | | | | rescue will travel to pick them up. Of course |
| Since we know people who are involved with | | | | transportation, gasoline, van rentals, etc, can add up |
| operating shelters and rescue organizations, we | | | | to hundreds of dollars - even with volunteer drivers. |
| talked with them for you. We want to answer our | | | | Veterinary services are necessary and can range |
| members' questions, to be helpful to both our | | | | from standard vaccinations and medications, to |
| members as potential adopters, and the rescue | | | | substantial vet costs for a dog that is seriously ill or |
| organizations. | | | | injured. The costs of vet care can start at less than |
| There are two common types of pet adoption | | | | $100 per pet, but serious medical needs may |
| organizations; Community Shelters (sometimes known | | | | generate costs of $1,000 or more, just for one |
| as Humane Societies) and the second type - | | | | puppy or dog. Rescues and shelters' goal and purpose |
| Rescues. Shelters and Rescues can be large and well | | | | is to save pets and find them homes. A pet that can |
| funded, or small, with essentially no outside funding. | | | | be saved and adopted will not be euthanized at |
| The larger, well funded Shelters, in bigger towns and | | | | these "no kill" organizations because of a reason like - |
| cities often have very sophisticated fund raising | | | | the vet bill to make them healthy is too high. |
| capabilities. These Shelters can have dedicated paid | | | | Adoption fees can range from as little as $50 to |
| management and employees, sometimes including | | | | sometimes as much as $500. Both larger adoption |
| veterinarians on staff. Of course, volunteers often | | | | groups, and smaller rescues must cover their |
| help these facilities to operate, as well. In larger | | | | expenses to take care of the animals, before people |
| towns and cities, the budget necessary to provide | | | | like you adopt them. (As a comparison, breeders and |
| services to the community can be very substantial. A | | | | pet stores usually charge much higher fees for their |
| portion of that budget comes from fundraising | | | | pets. Pure bred puppies, as an example, commonly |
| efforts, and some of the budget must come from | | | | range well above $500 and can be priced above |
| adoption fees. These Shelters normally operate on a | | | | $1,000 or even $2,000 and higher.) |
| non-profit basis, and they must generate enough | | | | Adoption fees can vary, based on a number of |
| funding to take care of the animals and serve the | | | | factors, including the age of the dog, and the |
| communities' needs. (We will cover some of the | | | | expected ease or difficulty of finding a permanent |
| expenses below.) | | | | adopter for the dog or puppy. It makes sense that |
| Rescue organizations generally are much smaller than | | | | the shelter or rescue's costs must be covered, for |
| the Shelters, and usually are all-volunteer and foster | | | | them to stay open and continue to help these |
| family based. Most Rescues do not have a shelter | | | | "homeless" pets, and save them from meeting a |
| facility, and instead all of the pets are housed in | | | | terrible fate. |
| volunteer foster family's homes. When the Rescue | | | | Since the costs must be spread across all the |
| takes in pets for adoption, they live with the fosters | | | | adoptions, fees must allow the rescue to continue to |
| until adopted by their new permanent families. | | | | operate and save the next dog or puppy, and find |
| Rescues typically have little or no fundraising | | | | them a permanent home as well. |
| capabilities. They are not funded by the town | | | | When you adopt a rescue dog or puppy, you can |
| government, businesses or other outside sources. | | | | know that you are saving that dog's life.... and your |
| Some of the expenses shelters and rescues must | | | | adoption fee makes it possible for another pet to |
| cover, to stay open, include basic needs like food and | | | | take it's place with the rescue or shelter. So you are |
| medicines. Crates, kennels, beds, leashes, grooming | | | | participating in a chain of events that saves one dog, |
| items, etc, all are necessary to provide care for the | | | | then another.... and so on. |