Saddened by Price increases of rehome/rescue doodles

[jenn D]

I wanted to have a conversation and maybe vent a bit about the cost of recused doodles. I want to start this off by saying this has nothing to do with the DRC. Based on what I've seen with DRC they are pretty consistent with their asking prices and I know the money goes back to an agency that recuses and rehomed doodles specifically and I am good with that.
What I have noticed is that a lot of rescues have been j****** up the price of doodles specifically while leaving most of the other dogs available at more reasonable prices. I've seen doodles in rescues going for $800-$1000 while their rescued other breed counterparts are going for $150-$200 AT THE SAME RESCUE. This angers me sooo much. Many of these rescues claim it's better to save a rescue dog then to buy a designer dog at an expensive price and that people who do this are only propagating the problem. However, it's perfectly acceptable for them to charge much more for these same dogs in order to increase the funds for their own organizations. I find this incredibly unsavory. A rescued dog is a rescued dog. To increase a price significantly of these dogs vs others in the shelter is going to limit the perspective adopter pool. Wouldn't they want the best fit for the dog and not how much extra money they can get for them?
When we got Mac he was from a joint effort from a poodle rescue and a golden rescue. All dogs (they claimed) had an adoption fee of $150. However, once we went to get him they told us he was "special" because he was a goldendoodle and his "special" adoption price was $400. Of course we were not going to leave him in this place so we paid this amount but I was upset by this. It seems that a lot of rescues and shelters are making extra money off the backs of doodle in a similar way that the breeders they claim to hate do.
I really thought it was just an odd thing that happened to us but it's not. The price differential is at many "rescues".
The take away is probably to stick with a DRC dog if you want to rescue but some parts of the country does not have DRC dogs available. Also not every rescue doodle will be in the DRC.
It's sad and hypocritical IMO. :(

[Shoney & Ruby]

This is a really interesting question. Thank you for bringing it up.

That said, I tried really hard to rescue a doodle and never even got a single response from any of the organizations--I guess that makes me happy that doodles are so popular that they don't need to respond, but still....by the way, we have a large fenced yard, no children, no other dogs, experience with rescues and excellent references.

I'm curious to see the response to this.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Shoney, I'm not sure which rescues you may have contacted, but everyone who submits an application to DRC gets an email response, even those who don't qualify to adopt. However, if you were trying to reach someone by phone, it just isn't possible for most private rescues, which are "staffed" solely by volunteers, to communicate by phone with everyone who inquires.

[Shoney & Ruby]

Thanks Karen, it was mostly local and Colorado groups because we wanted to meet the dog.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No legitimate rescue of which I am aware would agree to reduce their adoption fee for an adopter. No they are not in it for the money, but they do have huge expenses caring for the dogs, and more importantly, if someone can't afford to pay a reasonable adoption fee, they can't afford to have a dog. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's adoption fee was $100 more than the shelter's usual cost for a young adult dog. I understood why and I paid it gladly. 

Let me give you another perspective on rescues charging more for some dogs than others.

Private rescues and shelters operate solely on donations. The adoption fees don't begin to cover the rescue's expenses for many of the dogs. It's hard to have to say no to saving a dog's life because the rescue doesn't have the funds, but that's the reality of rescue. 

It's not at all unusual for a shelter to charge a higher adoption fee for puppies than for adult dogs. Nobody questions this, right? Puppies are in much greater demand than older dogs, are more "desirable" to many adopters, and therefore command a higher adoption fee. Yet in most cases, the rescue or shelter has spent far less on that puppy than on an older dog in terms of vetting, grooming, etc. The puppies' higher adoption fees help pay to care for the older dogs who will be there longer. 

On the flip side, most private rescues and shelters charge a lower adoption fee for senior dogs. The reason is that seniors are much harder to place than young dogs, for obvious reasons. Since demand drives the market with homeless dogs as with anything else in this country, and the rescue's main concern is to find the dog a home, they ask a lower fee. There are even "seniors for seniors" programs in which a senior human can adopt a senior dog with no adoption fee at all. The dog gets a home, the senior gets a companion. But if that senior wants a puppy, they have to pay an adoption fee. 

And all of that makes sense, right?

Doodles in rescue are in very high demand. It is not at all unusual for DRC to receive more than 100 applications for a single younger dog. I imagine it's the same with other rescues and shelters as well. 

So if the rescue can charge a higher adoption fee for that doodle, and then use that extra money to help cover the costs of the older, "less adoptable" dogs with health issues who are going to be in the rescue's care for a few months, that's a Godsend. And if you look at it that way, it may seem fairer. After all, if they can ask more for puppies because they are more adoptable, why is it wrong for them to ask more for doodles? 

However, $1000 adoption fees are beyond the pale, and I would question the legitimacy of the rescue group. There are a lot of people posing as "rescuers" who are breeding the dogs themselves, flipping dogs they find on CL, and doing other nefarious things. So you really have to look at who is asking the higher adoption fees and why.

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

I was looking at a rescue dog (not specifically a doodle) prior to getting Georgia.

I was also surprised how much people were asking for them. At many of the places locally it was at least 400 for most dogs, although they would often adopt out pit bulls or chihuahuas and seniors at a much lesser price.

I know how much work it takes to rescue, evaluate, deal with medical issues etc. It's not easy work and it all costs money as well as time (which in many cases is donated). With funds so limited, if they can get a higher price for a more desirable dog, than it's hard to imagine them not trying to get it as it provides for some of the rescues that need expensive medical attention. I'm sure they evaluate the owners just as thoroughly if not more so. As long as it is a respectable rescue organization.

[jenn D]

We'll I guess I will politely agree to disagree with most people who agree with this. But I love a good discussion so thanks everyone for chiming in. :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The rescue where we got Clancy is an all breed rescue.  They charge more for pure breed ( they include doodles in this) and more for puppies, less for already neutered, and less for already micro chipped dogs. Senior dog  fees are way down on their list. I get your upset, but from a rescue standpoint, if they can get a bit more for one dog, that helps offset the dogs (like seniors) discounted fees.

[Marie and Hoka]

All I can say in response here, is that my little rescue terrier Moxie ($250) is worth every penny to me what Hoka (full breeder price) cost.  I constantly wonder how I got so lucky to find her in the shelter.  I agree philosophically that all dogs in shelter should be similarly priced, except maybe lower for senior pups.  If healthy and young, the doodle-appearing dogs may get snapped up very quickly and cost less for the average shelter. 

And Moxie actually did cost the rescue a chunk of change (taken in her pregnancy, whelped litter, treated heart worm and then fostered her through recovery).  I know my own vet cared for her and donated care. Moxie is hands-down the easiest dog we have ever taken in... no work at all and very little cost.  

In the end, I so wanted another tall, comical doodle at the time of my own choosing that I invested in Hoka, worth every penny.  Philosophically, I would have much preferred a rescue, but was unwilling to wait.