Why are the "adoption fees" for small dogs so high?

Question

Would someone please explain why the "adoption fee" for Yorkshire terriers are so high?

There are some local rescues who have fees that are 175 to 700 dollars!

I support and am willing to pay a reasonable adoption fee but 700$? I could buy a purebred whatever puppy for that I'm sure. Heck in this market you could buy a decent HORSE for that much.

I'd love to adopt a yorkie or other small dog one day, but it may end up being cheaper to go to a breeder. Yikes. I never though t I would say or think that.

This place is a 501c.

I understand wanting to recoup costs of upkeep and whatnot, I'm just saying that you could find a Yorkie for much less than 700$ or even 4 to 500 around here or through an owner surrender.

But hey if people are willing to pay that more power to them.

EDIT: My point was while costs are high and shelters need cash, those kinds of prices (and I wasn't just looking at purebred yorkies) seem prohibitive.

Sure you should pay SOMETHING to adopt. I understand that but the max I would consider to adopt a dog is 100 to 150 dollars. Why? Because for 400$ or whatever you can find a decent breeder who knows the parents, knows the pups histories and there are few surprises.That is NOT what I prefer, I'm just saying it is a reality.

I guess my frustration is paying such a high price for the "privlege" to adopt. I think it is dangerous to make pet rescue "trendy" b/c ppl will take it less seriously. But that is another issue.

I think I will avoid the local rescues and look for owner assists. I had the opportunity to adopt a beautiful yorkie 5 years ago, actually she had no adoption fee, but I couldn't provide for her at the time.

I just wanted to add that I was look at OLD yorkies and mixes too, not young pups. Thanks everybody for your input! I appreciate it!

Answer 1

I dont really have an "answer" to this, but just an understanding for your frustration. We wanted to get a puppy since we are due to have a baby in Feb. It hought that getting a puppy a little trained right now, before the baby came would be a good idea. I wanted to give a dog a chance for a good home that needed to be adopted, instead of buying one from the breeders. I WAS SHOCKED to see how much money they ask for ANY breed really....!! I just wanted to do a good thing, but yes...you are right, it is almost cheeper to buy one from a breeder!! I think that if there are animals out there in need of good homes, and they have a chance to have them....they shouldnt spike the price so flippin high!! I even went to the shelter and looked at adopting maybe a mix-breed....and it is 175.00 at our local shelter. To me, for a mix breed that NEEDS A HOME OR THEY PUT THEM DOWN, that is CRAZY!! Anyways, I wish you the best of luck and maybe...just maybe...you can find a way to help a pup out, and still not pay out your hiney :) lol. Take care~
**I had to add something after reading another persons comment. I read that SHELTER dogs are cheaper then breeders because shelters do all of these things like shots, discounts, free vet visits, yada yada...? Holy wow let me know where that shelter is!!! I have bought dogs from FIVE different shelters and NONE of them have given me ANYTHING like that!! EVER!! They come with their shots, and that is it...bottom line!! (But then again, so do breeders?) I dont know, I just thought it was funny because my check book would LOVE to find a shelter like that.

Answer 2

$700.00 is too much. I have done animal rescues in the past and this does not sound legitimate.

Try another registered animal shelter.

There is supposed to be a difference in fee depending whether the dog is adult or still a puppy when purchasing from a shelter. Adult dogs cost a little more as they already have all their shots and usually have already been spayed or neutered.
Puppies often need more shots and often shelters offer a discount for the spaying or neutering.
The breed should have nothing to do with it, but can ocassionally increase the price by a little more.
There are rescue organizations that specialize in one or two breeds. Most are respectable, while others use this as a front to hide a dog mill. If you are set on a breed, check with breeders and they can refer you to a reputable rescue organization. Don't be afraid to ask for references.

I feel the need to point out that rescuers that take animals in to their own homes and spend their time, care and money are often maligned.
When I use to participate in rescues on a small scale, recouping money that I invested in caring for an animal in need was never a priority. Most rescuers I have encountered feel the same way. Donations of dog food and veterinarian assistance is appreciated, but the only money requested was for the initial starter kits (food, toys,cages, etc ) that the dog was accustomed to to make the transition to a new owner easier.
This also applied to birds, degus, cats, etc. The only thing that I requested was a contract stating that any animals that could not be kept were returned to me if another loving home could not be found. When I accepted the responsibility to care for an animal, it did not stop once the animal had found another owner. If a pet is returned to me, it is not rehomed but remains a permanent member of our household. I also offer free of charge to board pets if owners are ill or are going on vacation.

I also do not have anything against reputable breeders, as many of them also have a return policy and the good ones that genuinely care about their puppies are a wealth of information that you can access any time you want. The breeders that I know, often turn away people that they do not feel are good potential owners. They sometimes have puppies and dogs available at a cheaper price if the particular dog does not have good show potential. There is nothing wrong with 'pet quality' dogs. They just don't meet with the precise standard.

Answer 3

They need to cover the cost of taking care of the animals in their trust. Dogs also should cost something. I worked in a shelter for years and we had FREE DOG ADOPTITHONS when we needed to deal with overcrowding. I hate those days the most. People don't value free pets, and I also saw far to may come back later when people who had no business owning a pet due to finances could not pay for a $100 vet bill. Try add in papers or Craigslist in your area to see if anyone needs to re home a small dog. $700 sounds really high, but $100-200 is more then fair and often is nothing compared to what a shelter or rescue has spent. Make sure your really do your research looking for breeder if you go that route. There are a lot of bad ones out there and you will spend far more on vet bill with a sickly pup then you save. Finding the right dog in a shelter takes patience and luck at times, so be persistents and go to as many as you can.

Answer 4

I am Founder/President of of small breed dog rescue. $700 is way to much for a dog (breeder or rescue). Rescues asking that much $$ are more out for the $$ and not the dog,.

Our highest fee is $400 and we will not go over that. We have our dogs 100% vetted, temperment tested and groomed before they leave us, about 98% of the time we do not come close to getting back what we have spent on the pup. On our adoption fees we go by age and health. We have a 3 yr old Yorkie that just had $2500 in surgery to repair her throat and her adoption fee is only $350. We had a 12 yr old yorkie that had $5500 in surgery and he was adopted for $150.

So most rescues do take a HUGE loss, but we have to try to keep up with the vet prices, which are sky high anymore!

Make sure you double check the rescue group. Make sure they are at least incorporated with the state. Most rescues are not 501c3 because its so expensive to do, we are in process of getting our 501c3 now and it is costing us well over $1,000 with the filing fee and lawyer fee.

Most of the time when a RESCUE as over $400 for a rescue dog, they want money and dont care about the welfare of the pup.

Try www.petfinder.com,
www.1800saveapet.com
www.pets911.com to find your furrever new family member!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

I agree $700 is too high for adoption. Sounds more like a breeder trying a new advertising ploy, not a rescue.

I've done rescue for two breeds and we never charged more than $250 per dog....unless it was a young puppy and then we charged more. Still we needed fund raisers to keep afloat and were still nonprofit organizations. There's a clue there, do they have a 501(c) 3 designation? Non-profit charity?

There can be a lot of $$ involved in taking in a rescue and rehabing for a new home. I know of one dog who's vet bill is currently $5,000 and if it wasn't for fund raising efforts, the dog would have been put down.

Answer 6

Yorkies and other small dogs are less numerous than big dogs and so many people want them...is it any wonder why their adoption fees are higher? I know what you mean though. Small dogs at my shelter are anywhere from $125 to $300 and the big dogs are only $20-$95

I guess the shelter knows people will pay a higher price for small dogs so then they can get more money back. It makes a lot of sense because shelters do things like spay/neuter/shots/health check/worming which is a big cost to them but a small cost to you in adoption fees.

Answer 7

Oh wow. I can understand what your saying.. I wouldnt pay 700 for a shelter dog either.. my lab came from the shelter and she cost $250, which I must say was the best $250 I have ever spent and if someone could have showed me the joy and love she was about to bring to my life, I would have cleaned out my bank account for this animal. But this is me, and there is no way you can realy see whats going to happen..

In the shelters around here, puppies cost the most, and they are $375 dollars. I personally wouldnt pay $700 for a yorkshire terrier just because she's small.

Can you look at other shelters?

Answer 8

Raticals and Justin are 100% correct. Lots of people will balk at the higher price and look at other dogs. Alot of perfectly suitable dogs sit in shelters for months on end just because they arent tiny. This gives them an edge, and I am all for it. People are famous for wanting whats cute instead of whats right for them. If someone will pay 700 for a little dog, chances are they really really want that dog. They go through the same screening process as everyone else. Check your local shelter, I will bet they have lots of dogs you would like to have be part of your life! Ya never know until you go look.....'
I have something to add here. Buying from a breeder isnt cheaper. When you adopt, you get an animal who had had all of its shots, has been wormed, been temperament tested, spayed/neutered, and most likely gets a free visit at a vet of your choice , along with obedience class discounts. Buy from a breeder, you spend a whole lot more in all respects.

Answer 9

I work with Col Potter Cairn Rescue Network www.cairnrescue.com and our rescues require donations from $150 to $375. The young, more desirable dogs (from the adoptors point of view) are more and subsidize the older less wanted ones. Our average costs for the dogs runs over $200 when you consider we spay/neuter all the dogs, have them 100% updated on shots (most come in with no vet records whatsoever), have dentals done.. and that we also take in 'hard case dogs' . We always have at least 2-3 dogs who's care is in the many hundreds - I personally had a foster who had over $800 in care for mammary cancer - she was operated on, had xrays to prove it hadnt spread - and is now adopted to a family - we only charged $150 to her family - that other $650 had to come from SOMEPLACE.. - it came from the younger dogs who's bills only ran $150.

We are a non profit, 100% volunteer - no paid employees (ok, we do pay a CPA by the hour for our required yearly audit) - it all goes back to the next dog coming in. We only take in Cairn Terriers -small, but very feisty dogs who many folks don't understand how to care for. We don't turn dogs down because they are 'too old', too hard to adopt, we just take in cairns.

Most shelters have some governmental backing - we have none and only exist on donations .

Corinne

Answer 10

Our rescue charges adoption fees from $150 for special needs to $550 for the youngest dogs. Even this higher amount rarely covers the vetting costs for the dog (initial checkup, vaccinations, heartworm meds, spay/neuter, etc.). Our rescue is funded almost exclusively by adoption fees and fundraising (mostly fundraising). 100% of income goes to the dogs. All the work is done by volunteers who very often absorb some of the costs themselves. Foster parents always pay for the rescued dog's food and supplies, except for vetting and sometimes even that. Our rescue is typlcal of most.

If someone questions the adoption fee, it is a red flag that the potential adopters will have issues/problems if a serious medical emergency comes up. Not being able to afford vet costs is one of the most frequent reasons dogs are surrendered to rescue. And we don't want to risk that happening a second time to a rescued dog.