Puppy adoption fee?

HotChocolate.1

I recently went to adopt a puppy from my local animal welfare centre to discover the adoption fee was 120 euro, i know they have expenses to cover and need the money to help other animals but does anyone else think 120 euro is a bit steep?
There are alot of people who would be able to provide loving homes for dogs but may not be able to afford the 120 euro fee, surely 50 euros would be more reasonable? is it not better to let the person who wants to adopt the dog make a voluntary contribution instead, surely this is better than no money atall and having to end up putting the dog to sleep?

Whispered

It's actually cheaper to pay the €120 than it would be to get your new dog then worm, flea, vaccinate, neuter and microchip yourself.

HotChocolate.1

Whispered wrote: »

It's actually cheaper to pay the €120 than it would be to get your new dog then worm, flea, vaccinate, neuter and microchip yourself.

But considering the dog is a mut? and the dog doesn't come microchipped? surely itwould be better if they excepted any contribution rather than waiting for 120euros and then if no one takes the dog in the end having to put it to sleep?

fifib

Whispered wrote: »

It's actually cheaper to pay the €120 than it would be to get your new dog then worm, flea, vaccinate, neuter and microchip yourself.

majority of puppies wont be neutered or microchipped.
when we adopted our puppy, she was 4 months old and wasnt to be neutered until 6 months old. she only had her first round of jabs. so we had to microchip, get jabs and neuter her. we were asked for a donation, we gave €60, they told us €50 was norm for puppies and €100 for older dogs (they would be neutered)

Rommie

Worming tablets- about 4euro
Defleaing- roughly 8-10 euro
Vaccinations- 30-40 euro
Neutering- Depends on size of dog but can be anywhere from 80-200
Microchipping- 25euro

So, let's see about 150euro anyway if its the minimum of all those, assuming you get a very small dog and go to a cheap vet. Nope, I think 120euro is very fair as an adoption fee

Rommie

Out of interest OP, is it a rescue or an SPCA that you were looking at? Because rescues won't put the dogs to sleep no matter what

Stheno

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

But considering the dog is a mut? and the dog doesn't come microchipped? surely itwould be better if they excepted any contribution rather than waiting for 120euros and then if no one takes the dog in the end having to put it to sleep?

Yes imo it would be better to have the dog pts than just give it to anyone.

That €120 contributes to the costs what Rommie just posted, plus the cost of having the dog/pup kennelled/fostered, fed, and socialised until it finds a home.

Whispered

It costs the rescue the same to look after a "mut" as it does a purebred. I would however expect it to come microchipped too.

Also, if their adoption fee is €120, it is likely to be the same for each dog, even ones which cost a lot during their time in rescue (like one which comes in with injuries or illness).

tiny timy

80 euro from the ispca,all in and it includes neutering

Whispered

fifib wrote: »

majority of puppies wont be neutered or microchipped.
when we adopted our puppy, she was 4 months old and wasnt to be neutered until 6 months old. she only had her first round of jabs. so we had to microchip, get jabs and neuter her. we were asked for a donation, we gave €60, they told us €50 was norm for puppies and €100 for older dogs (they would be neutered)

I don't know about the rescue you dealt with but the majority of rescues give vouchers for neutering if the dog is too young and the majority will have the dogs chipped.

ISDW

So OP, did you pay the €120 and adopt a puppy?

HotChocolate.1

Rommie wrote: »

Out of interest OP, is it a rescue or an SPCA that you were looking at? Because rescues won't put the dogs to sleep no matter what

SPCA

HotChocolate.1

ISDW wrote: »

So OP, did you pay the €120 and adopt a puppy?

Yes i did adopt the puppy, i didnt have a problem paying the 120euro as i could afford it im just saying some people mightn't be able to and they could provide really good homes for dogs

Rommie

Thing is though OP if you can't afford 120euro to donate and fund a rescue in exchange for a pup, then how do you expect to feed the dog? Buy a lead? Buy toys? A licence? A bed? Treats? Etc, etc. If someone can't afford to spend 120euro to get the dog, then where are they going to miraculously get money to pay for the rest of these things? Not to mention that having to pay will put off people wanting to breed/fight/bait the dogs which is what they would do if they got them for free.

HotChocolate.1

Whispered wrote: »

It costs the rescue the same to look after a "mut" as it does a purebred. I would however expect it to come microchipped too.

Also, if their adoption fee is €120, it is likely to be the same for each dog, even ones which cost a lot during their time in rescue (like one which comes in with injuries or illness).

I didn't say it didnt did i ? im simply referring to the fact that i could have bought a purebread dog for 150euros from a reliable breeder, microchipped and all injections got, this might intice some people to just spend another 30euro for the status attached to having a pure bread dog instead of a terrior etc, so SPCA'S would benefit more if there adoption fee was voluntary as more people would be inclined to resuce a puppy instead of buy one. for me wether the dog was pure bread or a resuce dog didnt matter, i just wanted a puppy

Stheno

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

I didn't say it didnt did i ? im simply referring to the fact that i could have bought a purebread dog for 150euros from a reliable breeder, microchipped and all injections got, this might intice some people to just spend another 30euro for the status attached to having a pure bread dog instead of a terrior etc, so SPCA'S would benefit more if there adoption fee was voluntary as more people would be inclined to resuce a puppy instead of buy one. for me wether the dog was pure bread or a resuce dog didnt matter, i just wanted a puppy

Most likely any pure bred at that price will not have had the health checks etc that a well bred pure breed would, that price is more puppy farmer/backyard dealer pricing

HotChocolate.1

Rommie wrote: »

Thing is though OP if you can't afford 120euro to donate and fund a rescue in exchange for a pup, then how do you expect to feed the dog? Buy a lead? Buy toys? A licence? A bed? Treats? Etc, etc. If someone can't afford to spend 120euro to get the dog, then where are they going to miraculously get money to pay for the rest of these things? Not to mention that having to pay will put off people wanting to breed/fight/bait the dogs which is what they would do if they got them for free.

Im sure alot of people could afford 10euro a week for food but maybe not 120 in one go? leads and toys can all be bought in the 2euro shop and my puppy sleeps beside the fire on a rug so she doesnt need an expensive bed? and the SPCA'S carry out home checks to be sure none of that is going on.

HotChocolate.1

Stheno wrote: »

Most likely any pure bred at that price will not have had the health checks etc that a well bred pure breed would, that price is more puppy farmer/backyard dealer pricing

No they are a very reliable breeder and ive known them for years, they make very little profit from breeding dogs as they do it purely because they love animals. they had all health checks as im friends with this person and have seen them been taken to the vets, so please dont jump to conclusions!

Rommie

Health checks don't mean being taken to the vet. They mean having genetic health testing done on the parent dogs, so Stheno is right to jump to conclusions on that. For 150 euro a pup, there's no way they've healthtested the parents. Not to mention the word 'they make very little profit from breeding dogs', how often do they breed dogs then? Obviously more than once. Doesn't sound that responsible to me. And no dog should be bred simply because the owner 'loves' them. No wonder we have so many rescue dogs out there.

Whispered

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

I didn't say it didnt did i ?

you mentioned it wasn't a purebred pup, I was just pointing out that it doesn't matter because the rescue likely has the same adoption fee for each dog regardless of breed or medical history.

How is your puppy settling in?

HotChocolate.1

Rommie wrote: »

Health checks don't mean being taken to the vet. They mean having genetic health testing done on the parent dogs, so Stheno is right to just to conclusions on that. For 150 euro a pup, there's no way they've healthtested the parents. Not to mention the word 'they make very little profit from breeding dogs', how often do they breed dogs then? Obviously more than once. Doesn't sound that responsible to me. And no dog should be bred simply because the owner 'loves' them. No wonder we have so many rescue dogs out there.

She has two different bitches, each has one set of pups? jesus everyone is so judgmental and quick to jump to conclusions on here!

IF YOU DONT KNOW THE ANSWER DONT ASSUME, ASK FIRST!

ISDW

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

I didn't say it didnt did i ? im simply referring to the fact that i could have bought a purebread dog for 150euros from a reliable breeder, microchipped and all injections got, this might intice some people to just spend another 30euro for the status attached to having a pure bread dog instead of a terrior etc, so SPCA'S would benefit more if there adoption fee was voluntary as more people would be inclined to resuce a puppy instead of buy one. for me wether the dog was pure bread or a resuce dog didnt matter, i just wanted a puppy

I don't know any reputable breeder that would be selling a pure breed dog for €150, and btw, there are breeds of terriers that are pedigrees. With the genetic health testing needed before even considering breeding, the stud fees of the health tested sire, the proper care for the bitch pre, during and after whelping, and the puppy costs, excellent food, injections, microchipping, registration etc, the breeder would lose an awful lot of money if selling at that price. Reputable breeders don't do it for money, but to improve the breed, so usually just about break even when all the costs of doing it properly are counted up.

You can also get pure breed dogs in rescues btw, i have IKC registered huskies here that are rescue dogs

HotChocolate.1

Whispered wrote: »

you mentioned it wasn't a purebred pup, I was just pointing out that it doesn't matter because the rescue likely has the same adoption fee for each dog regardless of breed or medical history.

How is your puppy settling in?

Shes settling in fine now, she winged a bit the first night i think she was missing her brothers and sisters but shes settled down now, very playful & cheeky

DBB

Just to add to the bigger picture here, it costs most rescues more than €120 to get a dog from intake to rehoming. Some dogs will cost less because they're already neutered, chipped etc, or they're puppies, and not old enough to neuter (I'm picking neutering here as it's the major expense for rescues).
However, many dogs cost a whhhoooollle lot more than €120, if there are any medical issues, or even if the dog isn't rehomed quickly and ends up staying with the rescue for several months... these dogs can end up costing the rescue hundreds, maybe into the thousands in some cases.
So, it's all got to balance up somehow. If I take in a dog that costs me €500 to prepare for rehoming, I cannot possibly ask its adopter to reimburse me that €500. So, we spread the love, and instead of asking some people to pay a lot more, and some people to pay less, we spread the cost across everyone. Most half-decent rescues will operate the same policy.
Another thing to bear in mind, and Whispered already mentioned it, a good rescue will give out vouchers with puppies so that the adopter can get the pup done at the rescue's expense when pup is old enough.
And yet another thing to bear in mind: most rescues have worked hard to build up a good relationship with their vets, who generally give discounts to the rescues which members of the public simply won't get. It costs me a lot less to prepare a dog for rehoming than it would for a member of the public to get the same procedures done. And this saving is passed on to the adopter via an adoption fee which would be hugely higher if the rescue didn't have the luxury of a veterinary discount.
I have given old dog to new homes and not charged any fee at all, as it doesn't seem fair. The irony is that these oldies are often the ones that have cost a fortune to put right before enjoying another year or two of happy retirement.
I'd be really wary, if someone couldn't afford €120 to adopt a dog: it's about €10 per year of the dog's life! It doesn't matter that it's a "mutt"! Keeping a dog is not cheap, whether purebred or mutt, the adoption fee is actually the cheapest part of it!
It is important to realise that rescues can't operate based on what some people think is a good enough donation: we have to spell it out for them!

HotChocolate.1

ISDW wrote: »

I don't know any reputable breeder that would be selling a pure breed dog for €150, and btw, there are breeds of terriers that are pedigrees. With the genetic health testing needed before even considering breeding, the stud fees of the health tested sire, the proper care for the bitch pre, during and after whelping, and the puppy costs, excellent food, injections, microchipping, registration etc, the breeder would lose an awful lot of money if selling at that price. Reputable breeders don't do it for money, but to improve the breed, so usually just about break even when all the costs of doing it properly are counted up.

You can also get pure breed dogs in rescues btw, i have IKC registered huskies here that are rescue dogs

I know you can i have a west highland terrior, i meant cross bred terriors whoare not pedigree.

ISDW

DBB wrote: »

Just to add to the bigger picture here, it costs most rescues more than €120 to get a dog from intake to rehoming. Some dogs will cost less because they're already neutered, chipped etc, or they're puppies, and not old enough to neuter (I'm picking neutering here as it's the major expense for rescues).
However, many dogs cost a whhhoooollle lot more than €120, if there are any medical issues, or even if the dog isn't rehomed quickly and ends up staying with the rescue for several months... these dogs can end up costing the rescue hundreds, maybe into the thousands in some cases.
So, it's all got to balance up somehow. If I take in a dog that costs me €500 to prepare for rehoming, I cannot possibly ask its adopter to reimburse me that €500. So, we spread the love, and instead of asking some people to pay a lot more, and some people to pay less, we spread the cost across everyone. Most half-decent rescues will operate the same policy.
Another thing to bear in mind, and Whispered already mentioned it, a good rescue will give out vouchers with puppies so that the adopter can get the pup done at the rescue's expense when pup is old enough.
And yet another thing to bear in mind: most rescues have worked hard to build up a good relationship with their vets, who generally give discounts to the rescues which members of the public simply won't get. It costs me a lot less to prepare a dog for rehoming than it would for a member of the public to get the same procedures done. And this saving is passed on to the adopter via an adoption fee which would be hugely higher if the rescue didn't have the luxury of a veterinary discount.
I have given old dog to new homes and not charged any fee at all, as it doesn't seem fair. The irony is that these oldies are often the ones that have cost a fortune to put right before enjoying another year or two of happy retirement.
I'd be really wary, if someone couldn't afford €120 to adopt a dog: it's about €10 per year of the dog's life! It doesn't matter that it's a "mutt"! Keeping a dog is not cheap, whether purebred or mutt, the adoption fee is actually the cheapest part of it!
It is important to realise that rescues can't operate based on what some people think is a good enough donation: we have to spell it out for them!

Exactly, I had one boy come into us that cost €800 to get him ready for rehoming with everything that the poor lad had gone through. his new family donated €100, so the extra €700 came out of my own pocket into the vet's bank account. he has a fantastic home, and I'm delighted he's there, but they wouldn't have paid €800 for him, so now i have a lovely young bitch that already spayed, chipped, vaccinated etc, but her adoption money will go straight to the vets when it comes in, it will not clear what I owe the vets but will pay a bit off, evens it up a little bit.

HotChocolate.1

DBB wrote: »

Just to add to the bigger picture here, it costs most rescues more than €120 to get a dog from intake to rehoming. Some dogs will cost less because they're already neutered, chipped etc, or they're puppies, and not old enough to neuter (I'm picking neutering here as it's the major expense for rescues).
However, many dogs cost a whhhoooollle lot more than €120, if there are any medical issues, or even if the dog isn't rehomed quickly and ends up staying with the rescue for several months... these dogs can end up costing the rescue hundreds, maybe into the thousands in some cases.
So, it's all got to balance up somehow. If I take in a dog that costs me €500 to prepare for rehoming, I cannot possibly ask its adopter to reimburse me that €500. So, we spread the love, and instead of asking some people to pay a lot more, and some people to pay less, we spread the cost across everyone. Most half-decent rescues will operate the same policy.
Another thing to bear in mind, and Whispered already mentioned it, a good rescue will give out vouchers with puppies so that the adopter can get the pup done at the rescue's expense when pup is old enough.
And yet another thing to bear in mind: most rescues have worked hard to build up a good relationship with their vets, who generally give discounts to the rescues which members of the public simply won't get. It costs me a lot less to prepare a dog for rehoming than it would for a member of the public to get the same procedures done. And this saving is passed on to the adopter via an adoption fee which would be hugely higher if the rescue didn't have the luxury of a veterinary discount.
I have given old dog to new homes and not charged any fee at all, as it doesn't seem fair. The irony is that these oldies are often the ones that have cost a fortune to put right before enjoying another year or two of happy retirement.
I'd be really wary, if someone couldn't afford €120 to adopt a dog: it's about €10 per year of the dog's life! It doesn't matter that it's a "mutt"! Keeping a dog is not cheap, whether purebred or mutt, the adoption fee is actually the cheapest part of it!
It is important to realise that rescues can't operate based on what some people think is a good enough donation: we have to spell it out for them!

In 2011 i adopted a puppy from the same centre and the adoption fee was 50euro, now the adoption fee has more than doubled in cost, i understand that with the recession there has been an increase in the amount of dogs needing rehoming yet i have researched this topic and most shelters show only a slight increase in the amount of dogs being taken in each year and some even show a decrease. so please spell it out for me how the price has increased from 50 to 120 euro in less than a year and a half?

DBB

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

[/I] IF YOU DONT KNOW THE ANSWER DONT ASSUME, ASK FIRST!

HotChocolate, if you have a problem with a post, report it. Please don't take matters into your own hands.
Do not reply to this post on-thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Stheno

HotChocolate.1 wrote: »

In 2011 i adopted a puppy from the same centre and the adoption fee was 50euro, now the adoption fee has more than doubled in cost, i understand that with the recession there has been an increase in the amount of dogs needing rehoming yet i have researched this topic and most shelters show only a slight increase in the amount of dogs being taken in each year and some even show a decrease. so please spell it out for me how the price has increased from 50 to 120 euro in less than a year and a half?

Have you a link to back up that numbers are static/decreasing?

most rescues have reported a significant increase in numbers.

Are you talking about pounds?

Rommie

I would absolutely love to meet someone from a rescue showing a decrease in the number of animals seeing as every single one I know is full to bursting

Cookie_Monster

Rommie wrote: »

Worming tablets- about 4euro
Defleaing- roughly 8-10 euro
Vaccinations- 30-40 euro
Neutering- Depends on size of dog but can be anywhere from 80-200
Microchipping- 25euro

So, let's see about 150euro anyway if its the minimum of all those, assuming you get a very small dog and go to a cheap vet. Nope, I think 120euro is very fair as an adoption fee

well considering the cost to the rescue / SPCA of keeping the dog for another month / year / however long you would think they'd be more than happy to hand them over without a charge...