Adoption Fees

Just like many other rescues, we’re often asked to rehome our dogs for free. Even if we could afford to do that, we wouldn’t, and here are the reasons why…

• If you can’t pay the adoption fee in one go, then save for three or four months and spend that time researching training and issues, making plans for care during the working day, preparing your home, finding a good vet, etc. If you can’t manage to save the fee in that time, you can’t afford a dog. Sorry to put it bluntly, but you just can’t.
• Most animal rescues are not-for-profits or charities. We use every penny donated to us and paid in adoption fees to help other animals. If we have less money coming in, we’re able to help fewer dogs. It’s as simple as that.
• The sheer number of dogs coming into rescue at the moment in poor health is unprecedented (see the first point above and consider whether you can afford medical care). Even routine vet costs like flea and worm treatment and annual vaccinations cost money. Our vet bill is our second biggest cost after boarding.
• UK charities such as PDSA and the Blue Cross are stretched beyond belief at the moment. They are there to assist people with vet treatment who are retired and struggling, have lost their job, or have generally fallen on hard times. They are NOT there to be used as a discount for people who have gone out and got an animal in the knowledge that they couldn’t afford it. A vet consultation alone is at least £35, more if you live near London. Yes, you can get insurance for illness/emergencies, and we recommend that you do, but insurance doesn’t cover everything, and you’ll often have to pay for consultation and an excess even if the policy does cover the treatment. Plus vets often ask for upfront payment before a big surgery or out-of-hours emergency, even if it’s for lifesaving treatment after an accident.
• Nobody is entitled to have a dog. Owning/adopting/caring for a dog is a privilege, and if you speak with any rescue volunteer, you’ll understand that while they do, of course, want to rehome all of their dogs, there is absolutely no point in us allowing people to adopt a dog when we fear they might struggle to give it a forever home. That isn’t fair on the dog, who will face yet more upheaval in their life, and it isn’t fair on the rescue.
• So you saw a dog for £50 on Gumtree/pets4homes/Facebook? Did you ever stop to wonder why it might be for sale so cheaply? If not, give it a couple of weeks and you’ll most likely find out. Nobody is selling dogs to strangers with good intentions. If they don’t care about the dog or where it’s going, do you think they care about your kids’ safety, your home furnishings, or your sanity?

As you can see from the points above, adoption fees are needed, and if you can’t afford to pay, then please don’t tell us how awful we are for asking. We aren’t awful, we’re sensible – please try to understand that. And yes, we do want loving homes. But we need to fund the rescue, and we hate the headache of a dog bouncing back to us because we sent it to the first home that came up rather than the right home. So stop telling us we’re missing out on homes because of our adoption fees.

At a minimum, the costs that need to be covered by the rescue for each dog include:

– The rescue itself (driver’s fees, initial vet check).

– Boarding (£5+ per day).

– Veterinary care.

– Vaccinations and flea/tick treatment.

– Worm treatment.

– Neutering.

– Rabies vaccination, antibody testing, preparation for travel.

– The cost of the travel agent.

– A travel crate.

– The flight.

– And depending on the route, either clearance fees for Heathrow or a trip through the EuroTunnel.

We get to know our dogs before we rehome them, so we can ensure they’re a good match for their future family. We don’t ask for anywhere near the whole amount a dog costs us and we’ll also help you to fundraise, but please understand that we do need potential adopters to contribute.