Do you think it's wrong that animal shelters charge for rehoming their animals?

Question

I went to our local animal sanctuary to find that they wanted £70 for one kitten and £120 for one dog, I must admit that that did include getting them neutered and jabs etc but I would have got that done myself anyway and cheaper at the PDSA. I realise that they have to be funded by donations etc I just thought that was a bit steep and surely it will discourage people from going to them and more people will buy privately for cheaper, I would have loved to get kittens from a shelter but I cant cough up £140 in one go (want to get 2) and kitten season is over soon so I have had to look privately, I have had a cat before so I know of the expense but it's ok when it's in dribs and drabs.

I knew I would get you ones that say if I cant afford the price I cany afford a cat which is quite annoying because you have obviously not read my question properly.

Im obviously in the minority with my way of thinking then, I do understand they have to make their money too, of course I do, I would have payed it if I had it aswell and the other thing was that they wouldn't let you have just 1, had to be 2, which I wanted anyway but I could have homed just 1 for now if they had let me, surely that would have been more beneficial to them than nothing.

Answer 1

They have to make their money too

Answer 2

I work at a shelter and I can tell you that we DO NOT count on new owners to get spay/neuter and vaccines. Many say they will do it and they don't.
Most of the time, you are getting a way better deal than doing all that yourself, and the shelter makes back some money....but never what it costs them. A shelter is a money losing business.

And generally when people complain about the adoption price they cannot afford the animal in the first place. We charge $150 for a mixed breed dog and $250 for a purebreed. Here you cannot get a dog spayed for under $120, and anything over 50lbs is almost $200. Then there is the heartworm test,vaccines, worming, behavior evaluation, housing, food, microchip, vet exam....and God forbid it gets sick while we have it.....MORE $$$$$$.

Really, when you are complaining about the price which includes everything, it does make it sound like you have money issues and cannot spend that amount at once. What if the cat you got became really sick in a year and the vet said it would be $500??? That is not dribs and drabs.

Answer 3

It's right that they charge, it costs a lot to keep the shelter going, and you do have all teh neutering done.

I agree that it sounds a lot, especially for a cat, round here we do our own version of pet rescue, there are always litters being born, and you know the places where kittens may come to a bad end if no one will adopt them, so we cut out the middle man and recue them off of the farm.

With dogs, I have gladly paid the shelter fee twice, I like the fact that these dogs have been temperemant tested, and you will hear the truth about any potential rescue. We knew that both our rescues had problems, but I knew that they were issues that I could deal with, and having the info up front meant that we were able to rehab both dogs into our family really easily.

I once made the mistake of 'rescuing' a dog from a private home, the story was that the wife was allergic, the truth turned out to be that she was allergic to his very sporadic aggresive bouts.

Answer 4

The reason that the shelter charges is that is costs them money to make sure the animals are fed, watered and cared for. The people that work there do not do it for free. The building requires electricity to make sure the animals are in a comfortable environment. Yes, you can buy a cat "off of the street" but will you have the peace of mind that it has been checked over by a vet and is healthy before you spend your money? So, if you can't get 2 in 1 shot, get 2 1 at a time.

Answer 5

Just because you would get them neutered and get shots doesn't mean that everyone else would be as responsible as you - and the cost of the shots and surgery are heavily subsidized by the shelter. In fact, shelters started doing this prior to adoption because people were not getting it done. Also, adoption fees don't begin to cover what it costs to keep an animal in the shelter. Charging fees ensures that people who are serious about adopting actually adopt and the animals are not being collected by labs or by animal hoarders who don't have the means to care for them properly. Shelters also ensure that animals for adoption are healthy - not all private parties do this. You can also return an animal to the shelter if it doesn't work out. Most private parties won't do this.

The cost of acquiring an animal is just the tip of the iceberg. Caring for it long-term is the real cost.

Answer 6

Their charge covers the cost of care whilst the animal was at the shelter, de-sexing, vaccinations and there may be a little cash left over to help other animals at the home who haven't been fortunate enough to be adopted yet.

I know it may seem a lot, but remember, in the case of medical treatment or emergencies you may be faced with a vet bill much higher than £70 or £120. This is why shelters want to ensure that their animals are adopted by people who can access that kind of funding if needed.

Answer 7

The shelter actually gives you a discount on neutering and vaccinations. Expect to pay a lot more if you take it to a vet. If those costs seem too much then you can't afford to keep a cat or dog. Vet bills, flea medications, and food cost a great deal of money over time.

If you really want a pet, perhaps you could work with the shelter and foster some puppies or kittens?

Answer 8

Please read these answers carefully. They say alot. If you can, read between the lines. Most shelters are made up of many nonpaid volunteers. They are very dedicated and make the world go around. I hold them in the highest esteem. Thankyou thankyou for your devotion. I have a very heptic schedule, and get very little time to help. I try to make up the diff by donating moneys when possible. At my shop, I always purchase their calanders, and give them to my customers for Christmas. So my point here is, I believe you are getting a heck of a deal. A cat that is healthy, fed well, altered, current on meds, and knows what love really is. I don't mean to come down on you, but PLEASE look harder at these shelters. It seems the animals are the last to benifit from the taxes, and the first to get cut. Try other shelters also. Their just a phone call away. Amen

Answer 9

Absolutely not! They have every right to charge a SMALL adoption fee for their animals. They vaccinate, alter, and provide all necessary medical care for these animals to ensure they are healthy & happy at the time of adoption. Some places also put their dogs through basic obedience training.

I work for a local rescue that asks $80 for cats/kittens, and $150 for dogs/puppies. I think that is completely fair, because it's the general cost of everything we put into the animal to insure you have a healthy animal from us.

We also have monthly garage sales to help raise money for the rescue, which helps a great deal. The adoption fees alone, do NOT provide the financial stability we need, to help the next animals that come through our doors and need medical attention. The adoption fee isn't only for the animal you're adopting, but to help us afford to help the next animal that comes along.

Some people do gripe about the 'cost' of the animal, or even the application process we require when interested in adopting one of our pets. "Too much, too much", but it's what we must do, to best pair up the animal with the right home for them. We don't want our pets going to just ANY home. We want the best one for them, and one that'll be forever.

The local Humane Society here, charges more ($100 for a kitten), and yet has been adopting out sick pets lately.

Answer 10

They charge because they need to, they don't get much funding to keep a shelter going.

The cost covers the vet exam to make sure the animals are healthy, for any flea/worm treatments they'll need before being put up for adoption, the spay/neuter which would cost $100 dollars at any vet, and the vaccination shots.

Our shelter had to add more to the price of dogs because they found Hmong families were coming in to adopt the biggest dogs then killed and ate them for supper---something common in Asia but definately not here. It raised a big stink.

Answer 11

No, somebody has to pay for the vet bills and the shelter upkeep.
But on the other hand the screenings for people who want the pets are out of hand. Some of the questions are crazy, and the answers are never right. You'd think they would rather hear you shot your mother than you put an animal to sleep.
It's about $125 here in the states, a little less than what you would have paid. (I think) And also here, the "free" Xander ran me $150 to get vaccinated and screened myself.
Pets cost, there's just no escaping it.
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