Arguments in Favor of Charging an Adoption Fee
Most people are decent people. However, the sad reality is that some people are not—and charging an adoption fee helps to protect animals who need rehoming.
Heres an example: Its no secret that labs experiment on animals. Its also no secret that dogfighting rings still exist today and use animals as “bait” to train their fighting dogs. Giving animals away for free makes them easy targets for this type of situation, where the animals life has no monetary value. If you charge an adoption fee, its less likely that someone will turn around and use the dog in a lab or as bait. Its less likely that it will be profitable for them, so they just wont bother.
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A reasonable rehoming fee for a dog starts at about $50 and can go up from there. The purpose of the fee is not to make money, but rather to avoid giving the dog to someone unwilling to invest in having a pet. Charging a fee also reduces the possibility that your dog will be used for fighting or sold to a lab. Many people dont realize how real those dangers are, but they are very much reduced by charging a rehoming fee.
Breed Rescue Groups
If you have a purebred dog, you can find a rescue for him on the internet. Many breed rescues take dogs that appear to be a mix of that breed too.
A good breed rescue will screen potential adopters to ensure that the pup is appropriately placed.
Many will work with the dog on behavioral issues and training.
A good place to find rescues that may be able to help is Petfinder.com. We found Linus on Petfinder.com and rescued him from our local animal shelter.
Should You Rehome Your Dog? I did…
But life situations can change dramatically and without warning. Sometimes – sadly – this leads to a situation where you are unable to keep your pet anymore and need to consider rehoming your dog.
Today we’re going to explore when it may be time to rehome a dog, and what your options are if you decide you can no longer keep your dog.
In an ideal world, all dogs would land in the perfect homes the first time around.
They would spend their whole lives, from 8-week old puppies to 15-year-old grey muzzles, with their beloved family.
I sincerely hope that continued improvements in behavior support, pre-adoption counseling, education, and support from various nonprofits will bring us closer to that reality.
That said, there are situations where it’s actually best for both the dog and the family to rehome the dog.
I don’t have all the answers for you, and ultimately this is often an intensely personal decision. But after years of working as an animal behavior consultant in rescues and shelters, I have a good understanding of when rehoming a dog should be a consideration.