Dog adopton questions-updated post 57

[fatuhiva]

I think a lot depends on what part of the country you live in. Around here (northern NJ) $300 to $400 adoption fees are not unusual. Not all rescues here neuter the animals - but will make you promise that you will. I adopted a 4 month old puppy that I found through petfinder. He was boarding at a local animal clinic where 2 of the vet techs did volunteer rescue work. His fee was $300, and he was not neutered. They would do the neuter there for 1/2 price (about $175) but my vet agreed to match their price.

 

[mountdew1]

Our rescue lab X was 250 from the shelter, came with her first round of shot and was fixed. We got her at 2-3 months. Reputable breeders around here start around 800 or so for a pure breed and go up. The prices you mentioned are somewhere in between which does sound questionable. To high to be a rescue, and not high enough to be from a reputable breeder.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

I think a lot depends on what part of the country you live in. Around here (northern NJ) $300 to $400 adoption fees are not unusual. Not all rescues here neuter the animals - but will make you promise that you will. I adopted a 4 month old puppy that I found through petfinder. He was boarding at a local animal clinic where 2 of the vet techs did volunteer rescue work. His fee was $300, and he was not neutered. They would do the neuter there for 1/2 price (about $175) but my vet agreed to match their price.

Ditto this. I have been looking at dogs on petfinder. In NJ the fees are higher, especially for puppies who are more desirable for adoption. The fees drop on older dogs. The reason is not because the puppies cause the shelter more in expenses, but because the puppy adoption fee offfsets the cost of care for older less adoptable dogs.

Older dogs here are usually spayed/neutered. But puppies have to be a certain age before they can be, so puppy may not be.

The best way to see if this is unusually high for where you live, check out a few other popular puppy breeds on a site like petfinder, & find out what other rescue organizations & shelters are charging in your area.

Good Luck!

 

[Krissy04]

If you are adopting from a reputable rescue organization, they should indicate ont their site that they are not for profit, the rescue that we got one of our dogs from indicates on the site that they are a '501c3 not for profit organization', they are also affiliated with the American Boxer Rescue Association. Our dog was not yet neutered when we took him home, but typically they are, if they are old enough. As someone else mentioned you pay an additional $50 that you get back when you have the pup neutered.

This sounds like it could be a backyard breeder and I would be careful about that. If it is, I assume you probably wouldn't want to support them.

My suggestion is to use petfinder.com it is a great site and they will be able to show you dogs from different shelters and rescue organizations in your area.

Good luck!

 

[crisi]

See, I don't have a problem with backyard breeders. I live in a part of the country where puppies are actually in really short supply. Puppy farms I have an issue with. But if someone owns a dog and wants to breed it, I don't think that whether or not it has been in shows and its owners are part of the "dog circle" really makes a difference to most people looking for a pet.

 

[Fly4free]

There are so many animals living in rescues and shelters right now. My son (and I) recently did some community service for a shelter. It just pulled at my heart strings to see so many sweet animals needing homes.

I encourage anyone looking for a pet to give an animal a second chance, and adopt from a shelter or rescue. I have noticed the fees do vary between shelters in my area. It may pay to take your time and look around, and of course the most important thing would be to find a pet that fits right in with your family.

Wishing you good luck and happy times with your new dog!

 

[NJMomma]

I think a lot depends on what part of the country you live in. Around here (northern NJ) $300 to $400 adoption fees are not unusual. Not all rescues here neuter the animals - but will make you promise that you will. I adopted a 4 month old puppy that I found through petfinder. He was boarding at a local animal clinic where 2 of the vet techs did volunteer rescue work. His fee was $300, and he was not neutered. They would do the neuter there for 1/2 price (about $175) but my vet agreed to match their price.

Totally agree - I am also in Northern NJ, and paid $300 for my rescue (from a well regarded no kill shelter, who rescued his litter from some place down South). My dog is also a lab mix - the shelter told me he was a pure bred lab, but as he's gotten older, we can see it's obviously not the case - but I don't care what he is, I love him! My pup was not neutered, but was too young (about 2 months), I also had to promise to neuter him. He was microchipped, and had some shots. I also found him through Petfinder. 3 years ago, I was able to qualify for a low cost spay/neuter program run by the State (because he was from a shelter) that I think is no longer in place due to budget cuts. I have a friend that shopped around and found some vets were cheaper than others to spay/neuter. good luck OP!

 

[marie1203]

it really depends. There is no rule but I would research it more. If it is a rescue then I would verify the rescue if it is a shelter it seems very high. This sounds to me more like a breeder and for that price not a good breeder be aware.

 

[iheartdisney]

I'll agree with the majority hee, that the "adoption fee" sounds a little high.
Check out your local shelter, you will be saving two lives, the dog you adopt, and the life that is spared because now there is an empty bed. Our local shelter is $125, and that includes registration, shots, microchipping, and fixing.

See, I don't have a problem with backyard breeders. I live in a part of the country where puppies are actually in really short supply. Puppy farms I have an issue with. But if someone owns a dog and wants to breed it, I don't think that whether or not it has been in shows and its owners are part of the "dog circle" really makes a difference to most people looking for a pet.

In our neck of the woods, the shelter is putting animals down several times a week, just because there are not enough cages, even when they put two dogs in one cage. I do have a problem with .
(mostly pitbulls and chihuahuas sadly)
Most of those chihuahuas and pitbulls come from backyard breeders who can't find homes for their puppies before they lose their cute. It is absolutely sad!

 

[marie1203]

See, I don't have a problem with backyard breeders. I live in a part of the country where puppies are actually in really short supply. Puppy farms I have an issue with. But if someone owns a dog and wants to breed it, I don't think that whether or not it has been in shows and its owners are part of the "dog circle" really makes a difference to most people looking for a pet.

I think the is a horrible thing to say. There is 4 million dogs in shelters being put down a year and we need to breed more? There are so many problems with backyard breeders starting by health issues, inbreeding, behavioral problems, etc. There are a lot of rescues and shelter that will ship the dog to you. I use to live in a part of the country where we didn't have a lot of dogs for adoption so we look around until we could find a dog we could adopt. A good breeder will have genetic testing done and a lot of other testing to make sure you get a good healthy dog and that would run at least $1,000 a puppy.

 

[RMAMom]

Have you considered calling your local SPCA or Animal Welfare office to see if this is normal for your area? They would be aware of the common practices and prices locally.

 

[cnlmom]

I currently volunteer as the president of a local rescue group and I have been involved with animal rescue for 15 years. Adoption fees do vary.....ours range from 75-350$ depending on the breed. Our group recieves no public funding and is a not for profit charity and we exist soley on donations and adoption "fees". We would probably post a lab at $150 in our area. The more popular easy to place breeds and puppies are higher fees.....it is simple business.....your more desirable animals offset the cost of your older animals, mixed breeds and pay for all the vetting. Vetting is very expensive, heartworm treatment runs $500.
Our animals are health checked, vaccinated, checked for heartworms and altered PRIOR to adoption. We alter at 8 weeks. We NEVER place an animal that is not fixed. Not all groups have that policy however. But most do have what others described where you get some money refunded with proof of the alter.
We do not take in animals from the public (called owner surrenders)....we soley exist to support local kill shelters....when the animals time runs out, we will rescue at that point. We do not have a shelter, all animals live in fosterhomes, when we have room, we go to local shelters death row and save a few more. However not all groups are like us, most take in owner surrenders.

Petfinder.com is a great place to look for a pet, however you should still research your rescue you adopt from. There are some people who claim to be a rescue and is not. Local Petsmart and Petco stores adopt out animals from local reputable rescue groups on weekends. Any good group will show you their non-profit info and policies.

Please look into a true rescue, like it has been said before, there are a lot of backyard breeders, small scale puppy mills and larger puppy mills out there....they have wonderful websites with lots of cute photos of puppies frolicking in flowers, but the truth would make your stomach turn over. I personally have visited and been involved in 3 large scale backyard breeders raids.
Calling your facility a nursery sounds cute, but reputable breeders do not breed 5,8,10 different breeds. And be leary of people claiming to have registered CKC and such.....these "papers" or "registeries" really mean nothing, anyone can register their dogs for a fee.
Good luck on your search for your new family member!!!

 

[ceecee]

I think the is a horrible thing to say. There is 4 million dogs in shelters being put down a year and we need to breed more? There are so many problems with backyard breeders starting by health issues, inbreeding, behavioral problems, etc. There are a lot of rescues and shelter that will ship the dog to you. I use to live in a part of the country where we didn't have a lot of dogs for adoption so we look around until we could find a dog we could adopt. A good breeder will have genetic testing done and a lot of other testing to make sure you get a good healthy dog and that would run at least $1,000 a puppy.

VERY true. There are "Breeders" who don't know anything about their breed (some mix breeds to get designer dogs, others breed many breeds) and it's all about the $ a pup can bring in. Health issues aside, many of these dogs end up in shelters and rescues! PLEASE get your new family member at the shelter or a rescue. Too many wonderful pets are being killed because no one wants them. Also check out adult dogs....most are potty and chew trained! Plus they will be fixed and up to date on all of their shots.

 

[disneymom3]

Where did your find the dog on the internet. Is it a breeder website or craigslist. I would be wary of craigslist. For that price I would expect it to come with papers. It has been a few years since I got my dog neutered but I have never heard of it costing that much. In many cities there is a low cost spay neuter program and it cost like $50-$100.

Well, we found our dog through Pet Finder. She was bred specifically to sell, not a rescue. She cost $350 and it cost $320 to have her spayed.

I get the idea of adopting from rescues and whatnot. However, we needed a dog that would not shed. I looked for 2 and a half years to try to find one from a rescue and never did. So, we bought a "designer" dog. I see nothing wrong with it. She loves us, we love her.

 

[QT Pooh]

Oh puleeese to all those saying if the dog isn't neutered or spay something is wrong with the rescue. That is a crock.

We adopted our lab mix 2008 December, she was under 4 months old and wasn't fixed yet, we had to do that on our own, and yes we had to sign that we would do that. Her adoption fee was over 400.00.

We just got another pup 1 month ago, he was 11 weeks old, and again, not yet fixed and not all his shots. He was chipped though. His fee was 350, and we get 100 back once we fix him.

Chrissy also didn't have all her shots when we first got her.

The vet we go to has great rates for rescue dogs being fixed.

Adoption fees vary on the rescue, and how much money they may have put into the dog, and where you are geographically.

Is the rescue a real non profit?? That is sometimes a clue if they aren't non-profit group, but not that they dog isn't fixed or had all their shots yet.

We also adopted a rescue dog (cocker spaniel). She was 11 weeks when we picked her up, just shy of her 12th week when her last rabies shot would have been given. We had the option to wait until she was 12 weeks old or we could pick her up then or take her at 11 weeks and foot the bill for the rabies shot. We opted for the latter. So, not all rescues will have all the necessary shots and/or spay neutering. It really depends on the age.

Our adoption fee was $300. They came and did a house check and required us to provide them with a spay certificate within 1 year of adoption. So we had her spayed when she was 6 months, which is what our vet recommended. I can't imagine neutering would cost anywhere near the $250/$300 they're saying.

 

[marie1203]

We also adopted a rescue dog (cocker spaniel). She was 11 weeks when we picked her up, just shy of her 12th week when her last rabies shot would have been given. We had the option to wait until she was 12 weeks old or we could pick her up then or take her at 11 weeks and foot the bill for the rabies shot. We opted for the latter. So, not all rescues will have all the necessary shots and/or spay neutering. It really depends on the age.

Our adoption fee was $300. They came and did a house check and required us to provide them with a spay certificate within 1 year of adoption. So we had her spayed when she was 6 months, which is what our vet recommended. I can't imagine neutering would cost anywhere near the $250/$300 they're saying.

We have 5 dogs and rescue a few more the price is accurate. Of course that is without the blood panel that they recommend before surgery.

 

[robinb]

See, I don't have a problem with backyard breeders. I live in a part of the country where puppies are actually in really short supply. Puppy farms I have an issue with. But if someone owns a dog and wants to breed it, I don't think that whether or not it has been in shows and its owners are part of the "dog circle" really makes a difference to most people looking for a pet.

Except ... backyard breeders often do not do the testing that is recommended for the dogs they are mating. The resulting puppies can carry the same problems that puppy mill dogs have which are also bred indiscriminately.

 

[crisi]

I think the is a horrible thing to say. There is 4 million dogs in shelters being put down a year and we need to breed more? There are so many problems with backyard breeders starting by health issues, inbreeding, behavioral problems, etc. There are a lot of rescues and shelter that will ship the dog to you. I use to live in a part of the country where we didn't have a lot of dogs for adoption so we look around until we could find a dog we could adopt. A good breeder will have genetic testing done and a lot of other testing to make sure you get a good healthy dog and that would run at least $1,000 a puppy.

Sorry you think I'm horrible. In my part of the country there is a shortage of puppies. My rescue dog has terrible hip dysplasia. Really bad as in "we've put over $10k into him and he'll probably be unable to walk before he is ten." In the future, I will deal with a breeder who provides x-rays. I love my dog dearly, but had he ended up in 90% of people's hands instead of ours, he'd have to have been put down already - it's only that we've been able to afford the surgery that he is still alive. I'm not particularly interested in getting a strange dog sent to me from a shelter. For me, a dog fills a need in my life is the primary driver, not me providing a home for a dog.

 

[crisi]

Except ... backyard breeders often do not do the testing that is recommended for the dogs they are mating. The resulting puppies can carry the same problems that puppy mill dogs have which are also bred indiscriminately.

But they sometimes do. I'm not saying you should indiscriminately adopt a dog. I'm saying that backyard breeders CAN BE as responsible as dog people - but just not part of the dog circles and therefore not seen by the dog people as "reputable."

 

[Luvchefmic]

Sorry you think I'm horrible. In my part of the country there is a shortage of puppies. My rescue dog has terrible hip dysplasia. Really bad as in "we've put over $10k into him and he'll probably be unable to walk before he is ten." In the future, I will deal with a breeder who provides x-rays. I love my dog dearly, but had he ended up in 90% of people's hands instead of ours, he'd have to have been put down already - it's only that we've been able to afford the surgery that he is still alive. I'm not particularly interested in getting a strange dog sent to me from a shelter. For me, a dog fills a need in my life is the primary driver, not me providing a home for a dog.

I have to say yes you did above & beyond what the "average" person would have done for your dog financially but when I read your statement (that I bolded) honestly I almost fell off my chair...had to read it twice...do you really feel that way ? It just seems ...I can't even find the right words...can't say selfish since you stated what you did for your dog but I don't know....