Shelter adoption fees

[pomtzu]

Sas's thread about the shelter visit, prompted me to wonder about this, and I was curious what adoption fees are in different areas.

I checked my county SPCA fees, and was rather shocked to see what they charge - anywhere between $65 and $110, depending on the age of the animal and if they have already been neutered. They do have occasional special pricing days, but these are the regular fees. If they are this high in a rural area, I hate to imagine what a shelter in a metropolitan area would charge. No wonder the shelters are full - people in general and in this economy really don't want to put out that kind of money when they can get that free puppy or kitten from an ad in the paper, or the neighbor down the street, who wasn't responsible enough to have their pet fixed.

What do fees run in your area, and do you think they are reasonable?

[Taz_Zoee]

The shelter I work with has these prices:
Kitten = $125 (under 6 months old)
Cat = $50
Puppy = $250 (under 20 weeks old)
Dog = $225

All animals are spayed/neutered before being adopted. They do have specials on adult cats sometimes. And the local football team, Oakland Raiders, sometimes sponsors adult cat adoptions as well. Then once a year there is a two day event called Maddie's Day where ALL adoptions are free. This event is not only at our shelter but also many other surrounding shelters.

We also have a senior discount of $50 for 60 years and up. And you get a 60% discount on dogs and puppies first seven week training class held at the shelter. Also every animal gets a free visit to a VCA vet. Although, my vet gives the first visit free anyway for puppies and kittens.

We paid full price for Taggart (he was 6 months old so $225) and we got Jax at Maddie's Day last year, so he was free. I'm not sure how I feel about the pricing. I have to think it's pretty reasonable just knowing the care that is given to the animals, plus this is the Bay Area in California so everything is more expensive.

[Pinot's Mom]

Pinot's basic fee was $85. This is the fee for a neutered kitty; this SPCA is completely funded by donations and they must pay their bills. I have no problem with that fee.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I've seen it range from $25 (with no vetting of any kind)- $125 to adopt a cat around here. The place I got my boys at charged $65 for one, and 2nd was no additional fee. I knew I wanted poor little Havoc with the gimpy leg, but Toby was soooooo gosh-darned handsome, I got him too.

[mrspunkysmom]

At the Greenville ACS the fees are as follows:

The adoption fee for Puppies and Kittens is $90.00.
The adoption fee for Dogs and Cats is $70.00.

Anderson Animal Shelter

Puppies under 4 months...$65
Dogs over 4 months...$65
Kittens under 4 months...$55
Cats over 4 months...$55

The Humane Society for Either County does not list their adoption fees.

The local cat rescue is $50 and other rescues have different prices.

Considering it cost me around $350 to fully vet Jane 2 years ago, any of these are a steal. I was $125 each for Bob and Emily since both had been previously "fixed". My vet cuts no slack (and for good reason) but any strays that happen upon their doorstep are cared for and adopted out for a reasonable fee.

The Greenville ACS recently had an adoption weekend and adopted long term cats for $25. Both PetSmart and PetCo have had several adoption weekends recently. With 5 at home I didn't ask the price; just admired the kitties from a distance.

[luvofallhorses]

At the shelter I work at dogs are $60 and cats are $30 (we do a cat buddy system you adopt one and get the other free).

It's VERY reasonable!! It includes them being vaccinated, spayed or neutered, microchipped, a new bag of food that the dogs/cats are on to make the transition easier on their bellies if you are going to feed a new food, etc. We also include a packet with a bunch of information that is free really. Of course to be approved you have to fill out an application and we check references (vets, and if you rent landlord approval for a pet and we also check other shelters if they live out of town to see if they are on the DNA or good people.) and go from there.

We are very thorough with our adoption prices and some of the cats and dogs are sponsored meaning they had someone pay their adoption fee but they still have to fill out an application and be approved.

[chocolatepuppy]

At my local shelter...

Dog/Puppies $65-$130 plus dog license

Cat/Kitten $65-$100

Caring Companion Dogs $130 plus dog license

The pounds are a bit less. The rescue I got my last two cats from is a bit cheaper. I paid $65. to adopt Angel. Tessa, they gave me for nothing as they desperately wanted her to have a home(she'd been there forever) and I had the perfect home for her. They were at Petsmart and I got coupons for items I normally use that covered 1/2 of Angels fee.Therefore, I feel I got a great deal. Both kittys were spayed.

I believe I got Jake for $85. from my shelter. He was not neutered(he was 8 weeks old) but I got a voucher to get it done cheaper. I also got free health insurance for one month on him. (they no longer do that) He did end up sick that first month and the insurnace paid off. He was microchipped.
Both this shelter and rescue have specials like if you adopt older animals they'll be cheaper for a certain month.

All in all, I'd have no complaints for what I got in the deal, not to mention a few wonderful furkids!

[IRescue452]

There are no public shelters around here, only rescues and private human associations. Dogs and puppies rarely go for under $100, sometimes rescues charge over $300. Cats and kittens usually around $75. There is more demand than supply here for dogs so they can charge what they want, but in the past few years the population of dogs has been increasing in the area and rescues are charging less. Cats are another story. There's so many of them. You can always find an adoption sale going on in the area for cats.

I find with the economy going bad there are more people not altering their pets and also more people trying to make a buck by breeding them.

I do not like to think about paying for a cat since there are free cats all over, but if I fell in love with a specific one I don't think even $100 is a bad price for a long-lived companion animal. I paid that for my ferret after all. Dogs it depends. For an elderly dog I don't want to have to pay $300, but I would. I know what shots and food and altering an animal costs.

[Taz_Zoee]

The shelter I work with has these prices:
Kitten = $125 (under 6 months old)
Cat = $50
Puppy = $250 (under 20 weeks old)
Dog = $225

All animals are spayed/neutered before being adopted. They do have specials on adult cats sometimes. And the local football team, Oakland Raiders, sometimes sponsors adult cat adoptions as well. Then once a year there is a two day event called Maddie's Day where ALL adoptions are free. This event is not only at our shelter but also many other surrounding shelters.

We also have a senior discount of $50 for 60 years and up. And you get a 60% discount on dogs and puppies first seven week training class held at the shelter. Also every animal gets a free visit to a VCA vet. Although, my vet gives the first visit free anyway for puppies and kittens.

We paid full price for Taggart (he was 6 months old so $225) and we got Jax at Maddie's Day last year, so he was free. I'm not sure how I feel about the pricing. I have to think it's pretty reasonable just knowing the care that is given to the animals, plus this is the Bay Area in California so everything is more expensive.

Wanted to add: All pets are micro-chipped and examined and treated for any illnesses. Some pets have to have surgeries for certain things too. The adoption fee does not change if the animal has to have surgery.

[tokolosh]

Sas's thread about the shelter visit, prompted me to wonder about this, and I was curious what adoption fees are in different areas. . . . What do fees run in your area, and do you think they are reasonable?

I'm in a big Canadian city. At the SPCA here it's $120 for an adult cat, $200 (I think) for a bonded pair, and I don't remember the kittens. I think somewhere in between, and I assume they're trying to get people to at least consider the grownup cats and give them a chance with that one. With this you get a free-spay-or-neuter certificate to take to a vet if you're adopting someone who isn't fixed yet. To put it in real-life terms since actual buying power is so variable from place to place, I believe the single-cat price equates to any of:

- 15 hours at the minimum wage, pre-deductions.
- about 6 days of the very cheapest rent on a not-very-nice one-bedroom apartment in a not-very-nice neighbourhood.
- 4 to 6 months of the cheapest (advertised rate) cell phone service
- about 10 movies? I dunno, I don't do movies.
- a month and a half of my full ADSL/voip/long distance bundle
- a one-month adult bus pass, for two transit zones.
- one pair of semi-high-end runners. Not the fad brand, but something that won't fall apart for a few years.
- two and a half tanks of gas for a Toyota Yaris, or one month's car insurance.
- 60 to 80 cans of cat food.

My math's pretty fuzzy and probably my numbers too, but you get the idea. In my terms it's cheap, and I think I sit somewhere in the median income group, on paper. In many other people's terms it would be very difficult. There are some really wide income-disparity gaps in this city.