Some people think that, since they are willing to take a homeless dog off our hands, we should give them the dog without an adoption fee.
Well, that would be nice, and in a perfect world, it would be possible. But vet care for our rescue dogs costs money, which we must recover, at least in part, in order to go on rescuing. Each dog must have a physical examination, receive any required vaccinations (for rabies, parvo virus, etc.), flea prevention, and be spayed or neutered at the very least. MOST dogs that come into rescue need a dental and they are around $350 on average. The rescue pays for these procedures just like private owners. We almost never qualify for discounts.
For the most part, our adoption fees reflect the medical expenses incurred for a particular dog. Other factors in adoption fees are age and health of the dog. All other monies go into a fund, which helps pay the medical bills for dogs that require unusually expensive care -- bills that an adoption fee could not cover.
Please keep this fact in mind: The adoption fee for a 2nd Chance Rescue Doxie is usually somewhere between $100 and $400. Pairs can be more depending on age. The going rate for a puppy at a pet store - a puppy that, in all likelihood came from a puppy mill - is between $500 and $1200. And you still have to pay for vaccinations and spaying or neutering on top of that.
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