rehoming fees - when does adopting become buying?

[Anonymous]

Last year we paid a $700 rehoming fee to an individual who was getting rid of an doodle mix. The dog was not spayed/neutered and the individual felt they could not take care of the dog in an urban environment as the dog was in a crate majority of the day.

Some may think I was buying the dog at $700 but I also know that the rehoming fee is there so the dog does not wind up in the wrong persons hands (i.e. to someone who would breed the crap out of the dog). The owner met with me and my entire family. Honestly it could have been way worse for this dog. Sure we had to pay money to bring the dog to our standard (fixed and microchipped) but I could have paid 3x the amount from a breeder as well.

There are plenty of dog rehome pages on facebook - you have to join the breed group that is most appropriate for the type of dog you want but it is a way to see a dog in a home environment and understand their background. Rescues are great too (I was turned down over 8x by different rescues before getting this dog), however there are challenges with them just like any other situation.

[Anonymous]

Rescues should absolutely charge adopters. I don't see why getting a pet from a rescue should be cheap.

OP your issue is that these aren't rescues they are backyard breeders. If you have an ethical problem with breeders you shouldn't buy from them, and if you don't have an ethical problem you can probably find a reputable breeder. So skip these sellers.

[Anonymous]

During covid I was seeing a decent number of rescue puppies in the $600-$800. Highly likely with pit heritage. One new highly hyped outfit wouldn't even state a price upfront. I checked their guidestar & they were up over a$1M clear before the whole thing imploded. Considering the owner ran on all volunteer labor, tricked people for additional donations when just applying for a dog, the ethics were so questionable.

[Anonymous]

Our rescue charges between $200-300 depending on the age of the dog. They take care of all the initial vet work and spay/neuter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I needed to rehome my cats due to a move, I posted on Craigslist. We didn't need a rehoming fee so I didn't post one at first.

I got like 4 emails in 5 minutes chastising me for listing FREE CATS because apparently that results in people buying cats to torture.

It seemed really sad to me that that was the reason, but that's what I was told it was.

That’s the first thing you should know. Never list pets for free unless you want them ending up as bait dogs or in other bad situations.

[Anonymous]

The reason for those fees are the costs that go out of the shelters - mostly veterinary costs.
But also to make sure the people adopting are committed to looking after these pets. Pets aren't cheap to keep, they have food and medical costs (and some have grooming costs).

[Anonymous]

Of course animal rescue fees are almost exactly what pet stores used to charge back in the day, inflation adjusted. That’s because the source of the animals is still the same: puppy mills and backyard breeders. Same businesses, different distribution channels.

[Anonymous]

Just don't tell the rescue that DH is in the military. We lied to our rescue about a bunch of stuff. I think they almost want to be lied to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course animal rescue fees are almost exactly what pet stores used to charge back in the day, inflation adjusted. That’s because the source of the animals is still the same: puppy mills and backyard breeders. Same businesses, different distribution channels.

Not even all that different. A good number of the rescues do their events at PetSmart and Petco. It's a racket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course animal rescue fees are almost exactly what pet stores used to charge back in the day, inflation adjusted. That’s because the source of the animals is still the same: puppy mills and backyard breeders. Same businesses, different distribution channels.

Not even all that different. A good number of the rescues do their events at PetSmart and Petco. It's a racket.

Wow you have no idea what you’re talking about.
They do their events at Petco because the stores allow them to use their space. Where do you propose they do them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At $500 you are buying a dog.

We wanted a rescue dog but gave up and still don't have a dog, dealing with rescues in this area is a nightmare. We are going to move soon and will look into rescues in our new state.

When I adopted a retired racing greyhound, I was charged $500, but I was given the paperwork from the vet for an exam, shots, deworming, heart worm and flea/tick preventatives, neutering, and a dental cleaning under anesthesia, all part of preparing the dog for adoption. The vet bill alone exceeded the $500 adoption fee. I was also given a collar, a muzzle, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a week’s worth of food. I think that’s an excellent deal for a young purebred dog.

[Anonymous]

Farm kittens are almost always available for free in the spring and summer. I have never paid for a cat and have owned cats for 42 years. They aren’t fixed, vaccinated, chipped, or wormed when you pick them up, but that didn’t cost me $500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Farm kittens are almost always available for free in the spring and summer. I have never paid for a cat and have owned cats for 42 years. They aren’t fixed, vaccinated, chipped, or wormed when you pick them up, but that didn’t cost me $500.

Really? I think my vet is pretty reasonable with his pricing, but the initial exam/vaccines is like $150 or so, and the 3 subsequent booster shot visits are around $30 each. Spay is somewhere around $300 and microchipping is $25. It adds up. I've also never gotten a stray or random oops litter kitten that didn't need something additional treated, they almost always have fleas, worms and respiratory/eye infection. Flea treatment that actually works is pretty expensive, antibiotics, eye cream and worm pills are not super expensive, but they aren't free either. My "free" cats cost me considerably more than $500 in the first 6 months.

[Anonymous]

We adopted a cat from Craigslist. The family asked for $20 to make sure he wasn’t going to someone with bad intentions that just wanted a free cat. They gave us all his stuff (tower, food, litter, collars)

I still send the family photo updates and they’re happy he’s in a loving home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course animal rescue fees are almost exactly what pet stores used to charge back in the day, inflation adjusted. That’s because the source of the animals is still the same: puppy mills and backyard breeders. Same businesses, different distribution channels.

Not even all that different. A good number of the rescues do their events at PetSmart and Petco. It's a racket.

Wow you have no idea what you’re talking about.
They do their events at Petco because the stores allow them to use their space. Where do you propose they do them?

Yes, I’m aware the stores give permission. Under the old system, the pet stores bought dogs from breeders and sold them in their stores. Under the new system, the rescue organizations buy dogs from breeders and then people “adopt” them in pet store parking lots in exchange for an “adoption fee.” Totally different!