re-homing a dog/puppy

[old-wos-is-name]

Do You think its right that these animal shelter places charge for the animals? for instance, battersea dogs home charge £109 if you have a dog from them. does this not stop some "not so well off dog lovers" from adopting an animal?
its certainly stopping me.

[bednobs]

yes. if you can't afford £109, how would you afford food, vets bills, spaying, insurance, toys, treat etc?

[barb1314]

I guess this is how the shelters stay open otherwise how else can they raise funding for staff,food etc etc? I think having an animal is a major commitment financially in terms of food,insurance,vaccinations and all the other expenses associated with having a pet. With things the way they are so many people are giving up on their animals that the shelters and rescues are overflowing.So sad.

[ummmm]

Plus the dogs home give them jabs, worming, flea treatment....and they probably spay them as well.

[NoMercy]

I had to pay fifty euros for Alf. Without any prompt I offered to make a donation of thirty euros and she told me I had to pay Fifty. I paid it but I thought that it would be very off-putting for many people.

[Dee Sa]

this is the right thing to do, I agree with bednobs whole heartedly.
My pal does a grand job rescuing and rehoming shar pei dogs and she charges £90 to help with the overheads and Battersea must need a lot more money to keep open.
She tried to rescue a shar pei who had been put in kennels by the police who found it wandering, the kennel owner asked for £150 when she explained that they were a charity and didnt have that sort of money the kennel owner said tough and put the phone down !

[Postdog]

I agree with the comment about if you can't afford etc..... . Getting a dog, any way, is a commitment and aside from recovering some cost in the dogs upkeep, paying that money shows this.

Back in 1994 I got two rescues at £70 each. They've gone now but it was the best £140.00 I've ever spent.

[China Doll]

I got my cat from battersea not long ago. He cost me £65 and came jabbed, wormed, defleaed, with a free months insurance, his own bit of carpet that he had been sleeping on and a goody bag that included some inital food and a toy.If he head needed it then he would have been neutered too. I thought it was absolutely fine to pay this amount for him. It's a charity and they need the money, plus I had already done my research on to it cost and I had money towards it saved in my little 'cat fund'.

If you can't afford the inital price then you are able to contact them and see if there is a way you can still adopt. I'm pretty sure I read that on their website somewhere.

[NoMercy]

That's very reassuring, China.

Alf cost fifty Euros and came with every parasitic infestation you could imagine, protruding bones, a dreadful fear of abandonment, an insatiable appetite for anything edible and a terrible habit for destruction. Still, it was the best money I ever spent.

[old-wos-is-name]

thanks for all the input. must tell you a true story. I gave away 2 hens to a good home. was talking to the couple who collected them and they told me they got a dog from a breeder who had finished with it, 4 years old, pedigree breeding days over. it was in a poor state, had been locked in a basement and not very used to people. anyway, they paid the man His £100 and took the dog home a looked after it. it got fatter, then one morning there were 15 puppies lying next to it. sadly one died, but they sold the rest to good homes for £150.each. they were red setters. I thought that was a lovely story.

[riptide]

I agree with previous comments, if you have a dog you have to be able to afford to feed them, get them vaccinated and cover any vet's bills that might come along. Animal shelters have costs to cover when they take in animals and I do not think it is unreasonable that they ask for an amount to cover their costs and also to allow them to continue their good work.

[NoMercy]

Omg... I love red setters! Obviously that's evident by my avatar...

[old-wos-is-name]

yes, red setters beautiful dogs, I would like one my self. Had a cocker spaniel for 18 years, a one man dog, but a real playful friend with all the kids. got a bit grumpy at the end, but don't we all. I will perhaps get a jack russel, lots of character and long haired ones look really good ( my last one, scoobie was a lovely calm animal)

[NoMercy]

Well my little boy is a red setter/cocker spaniel cross. Lol

He is my pride and joy. :-)

[Eve]

My cats were £50 each and came neutered, deflead, de wormed, vet checked, microchipped and with a month's free insurance and they did a home visit beforehand. Can't remember what I paid for my cat before but definitely close to that. As others have said, it goes towards helping them rescue other animals and goes someway to proving you have funds to look after the animal(s) you rescue.

[ladybirder]

A calm Jack Russell - that's an oxymoron if ever I heard one.

[old-wos-is-name]

scoobie was a She, long haired and a really calm dog. I saw an elderly lady with a jack russel in the basket on the front of Her mobility scooter, and it was the most placid dog you could ever wish to see. I must admit that they are normally frisky little fellows. I am sure its the way the are brought up the dictates their manners. Give then love and affection and they will respond likewise.

[brenda]

I paid £80 For my Jr cross from the RSPCA, five years ago -- the best money I have ever spent.

[lankeela]

Our breed rescue asks for a donation if the new owner wants to give something, and most people give around £100 but we don't turn down a good home if they are unable to give much. If the dogs are elderly we don't ask for a donation, but most still give us something. There are lots of costs involved in rehoming dogs, mostly vet bills, but also transport if the dog has to be moved, kennelling, food, insurance, advertising etc. If you can't afford a big lay out consider an ex racing greyhound, many trainers would have one available free to good homes (although the official retired greyhound trust branches ask for a donation), but you would need to take out insurance in case of vets bills. You can pay monthly for insurance.

[daisya]

There's a saying, if you can't afford the vet you can't afford the pet, so I think in charging people to rehome their animals the charity is asking you to make a commitment and for them to know (hopefully) that you can afford to care for the animal.

[saxy_jag]

I think it's quite reasonable. The rehoming centres put a lot of time and expense into caring for these animals. They have them neutered, wormed, vaccinated and microchipped, as giving them expensive treatment, drugs and special food if they're ill. They have to fund all this from charitable donations, therefore it's only fair to pay such a fee if you're adopting an animal from them.

I believe most are happy to discuss matters if people really can't afford this sort of money. We're (hopefully) about to adopt a greyhound. We'll be paying something like £100 and I don't object to this at all.