looking at some dogs on petfinder

[katie St Marie]

some of them are like 500+ bucks!!!! why is it so expensive to adopt one??? yeah i get that it cost money to run shelters but it seems like an outrageous amount to pay....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You'll find that the higher adoption fees of five or six hundred dollars are usually only found with private rescue groups, not public shelters. Public shelters receive funding. Some private groups charge higher fees for very adoptable or desirable dogs than their usual fee to offset their costs/losses on dogs that have required very expensive vetting or have been with the group for long periods because they are less adoptable or desirable. When you consider that a private rescue can easily lay out $1500-2000 for heartworm treatment or other veterinary care on a single dog, and normal adoption fees range around $250-395, plus the fact that the only funding they receive is doantions, you can understand why they might try to recover some costs with slightly higher adoption fees on some of their dogs. Many people will pay extra towards their adoption fee anyway, as a donation to the rescue. It sometimes happens that someone adopts a dog with a $350 adoption fee and gives the rescue $400-500. A $350 adoption fee rarely covers the amount the rescue has laid out for spay/neuter, vaccinations, giardia or parasite treatment, food, licenses, microchips, collars, leashes, etc.
However, there are a few rescues that list on Petfinder and charge high adoption fees that are not legitimate rescues; some of them are actually breeding the dogs themselves and/or buying from puppy mills. I don't know which ones you are looking at, so I don't know if that's the case. Those of us who work in rescue usually can tell you if a group is "legit" or not.
I paid a $300 adoption fee for Jack (usual fee was $200) and he was worth every penny of it.

[katie St Marie]

yeah it was on petfinder...hmmm makes me wonder if it was legit or not...thats another thing im worried about cuz i am looking into getting another dog but dont want to be scammed like my friend who sent money to get two huskies and lost all the money cuz it was some nigerian dog scam....i have a local breeder but was thinking of a smaller breed and maybe a little less spendy..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Katie, I would not go with a cheap breeder to save money- you will make it up in vet bills, believe me. If you haven't read Adina's discussion, "What to Look for in a Breeder", do yourself a favor and read it now.
And adopting a dog because it's less expensive than buying from a breeder is the wrong reason to adopt. It isn't fair to the dog or to you.
If you want to send me a message with the names of the rescues you are looking at, I can tell you if they are legitimate.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

Some of you may remember this post from another forum but it is worth repeating.

"Please don't take this the wrong way but thinking that you are "saving" money by getting a rescue is not going to happen. Many rescue doodle's or dogs come with their own set of issues. Some have been abused, some are puppy mill dogs and some just have "issues". There may not be the upfront expense but the vet bills, the drug bills, the behaviour training bills can make the long term "cost" of the rescue more than the cost of a dog from a reputable breeder.

Yes I do beleive in rescueing these animals but not because they are less expensive. We spend twice as much on vet bills for Mariner than we do for our other two combined. We understood that Mariner was going to have "issues" his entire life. Mariner had a skull fracture at 7 weeks old that left him blind and with a seizure disorder. He has regained much of his eyesight but he is under frequent vet care for his seizures. BUT we adopted him knowing this. You don't always know what problems you are going to encounter when you adopt a rescue.

Please don't look for a rescue if you are looking for an inexpensive dog. Only look for a rescue if you are willing to give a dog a better life and are willing to deal with any "issues" that come up. Just like a child you have the responsibility for their health and well being for the rest of their life."

[katie St Marie]

i was looking at another breed (non doodle) that is generally good with kids and dogs that arent as expensive around 300-700 ....my problem is i cant find one local or within a days driving and am wary of just buying one off the net...so i started looking at adoptable pets but they are about the same price....uurrggg im frustrated cuz i loooooove my doodle but spending another 1800 on a dog isnt going to fly by dh. im just trying to do as much research as possible looking at all options...i did that with ruby and it was worth waiting

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's almost always worth waiting! I agree, don't just buy off the internet from an unknown party. And do read the article...it applies to buying any kind of dog, not just doodles.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

It is hard to understand unless you have been there. Maybe this will help if you see a simple itemized list of what actually takes place before the rescue adopts out a dog.

Rescue from a kill shelter: $ 90.00
Lab Tests ( worms, giardia, heart worm) $40.00
Shots: $50.00
Worming Medication: $25.00
Micro Chip: $ 25.00
Spay/Neuter: $150.00
Two months heart worm medication: $ 20.00
Two months flea/tick medication: $20.00
TOTAL COST: $420.00

Oh shoot... I forgot to throw in GROOMING. Have you ever met a neglected doodle? $$$$$ add a little more.
This is just a simple dog. Many have severe issues that must be taken care of before the dog can go on to a forever home. Take for example I had a dog who was severely underweight who also had no hair at the time. The rescue paid for a sweater to keep her warm until she could gain weight and grow hair. It is the simple extras that may add up.

Most foster families spend A LOT of their own money taking care of simple issues that are never seen or added to the cost but do it out of the love for dogs. Some dogs need to chew for days--off to buy soup bones. Some dogs need tough toys --not plush. Off to the store to purchase toys for the foster. Some dogs need a very special diet. Off to the store to buy food that won't make them sick. Some dogs are afraid. Off to the store to purchase a harness, a gentle leader.... the list goes on. It gets added to everyday. Each dog has its own individual case and its own needs.

The list goes on, the prices add up. But rescues take place. No profit is made! Forever homes are what is made.

[katie St Marie]

yeah i get that part i just remember the shelter in my hometown and it was 75 for dogs and 50 for cats. lol if i were to add up all ive spent on my ruby it would be a small fortune!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Municipal shelters are partly funded by tax dollars, and other monies on township/state/federal levels because they are branches of local government designed to protect the public's interest, not the animals. Often, these shelters do nothing other than give a rabies shot, required by law. No other vetting of any kind, even for dogs who are sick or injured. There are still many shelters like that, with very low adoption fees. They just need to move the animals out, with anyone who will take them.

[katie St Marie]

well thats just sad....im not too familiar with shelters and the different types i want another dog just dont know how to go about it...i lucked out with ruby and found a breeder 2 minutes from my work...i just had to wait wait wait which im fine with. i was thinking of getting a generally less expensive breed, that is a little smaller....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Are we talking real purebred, or a mix? Because there are almost no reponsible breeders breeding small mixes like yorkie-poo, cavapoo, etc. Those are all from puppy mills.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We just rescued Clancy - well the local humane society rescued him and we got him from them. The usual fee for a mixed breed adult dog ( lucky us) is $150 which includes chipping. Since Clancy was already chipped, they even deducted the chip part of the fee rather than charging us any way. What a deal!!! A healthy dog with no issues, and a doodle of some sort to boot. We were very lucky and we know it. We had just donated to the humane society at their fund raiser where I met Clancy or we would have given more. There are some wonderful dogs at the humane society - smaller ones also. Figure out the breeds that might fit your requirement and go to your local humane society website weekly and you will soon find one of the pups you are looking for.