As a comment on a recent post, "Anonymous" asked the following question:
"I'm wondering how you guys can see the justification in charging as much for the rescue dogs you are taking in as you are for perky puppies? I know the cost of shots and housing and food all needs paid for but I still can't see the justification in such a high cost for a dog that you guys are saving and trying to find a home. You've taken in dogs from places that couldn't get people to buy them for a cost that was probably much lower than your own, and now you are charging potential owners $450 dollars, where is the logic in that? I would love for you guys to provide some insight into this."I think that's a great question, but it can be very complicated to answer.In your example, you are comparing apples to oranges. You are comparing a $450. rescue maltese (would be $700-$850 at The Perky Puppy) with Perky Puppy shih tzus and malti-poos, which would be at least $100. less if they were rescues). Let me try to shed some more light on adoption fees...But, first, let me remind you that we are a NEW rescue. We do not have the funding that many other rescues have. We also don't yet have a volunteer base (so our cost is higher, because of mostly paid staff) or a large donor base, so, our adoption fees must cover almost all of our operating expenses.Also, we are not new to the puppy business. We are very knowledgeable on the current "market value" on many breeds. We utilize our experience in that area to help structure pricing in a way that benefits the rescue operation best.
Adoption fees vary based on multiple other factors. We consider the following:
- How much did it cost to acquire the puppy or dog?
- Did we have to quarantine it? (14 days in my kitchen before the public can view him, cared for by my staff, adds up quick!)
- What efforts do we have to put into rehab/training? (Does he need to work on housebreaking? Is it a little or a lot? Does he need manners work before anyone will consider him for adoption?)
- How long will the puppy or dog have to stay before it is ready for adoption? (Does he need to "level out" a bit or recover from something, before he is offered for adoption?)
- How old is the dog? (Often, young puppies have more "market value" than older dogs.)
- Is the dog purebred? (Often, you can expect to pay more for a Maltese than a Maltese mix.)
- How big is the dog? (A 2 pound Maltese is often more "valuable" than an 14 pound maltese.)
- Did we pay to have it transported?
- What is the cost or expected cost of veterinary or medical care? (Is it up to date on vaccinations and dewormings? Does it need spayed or neutered? How about a rabies vaccine?)
- How urgent is the placement of this dog? (A 2# puppy is not as urgent as a 40# puppy. This may not be popular, but cleaning and care is very expensive. In addition, large breed puppies need more interaction at an earlier age.)
- What does the dog's competition look like? (If we're trying to place a 4-month old large mixed hound and an 8-week old purebred boxer puppy, we will price the boxers higher and the hound lower, in an attempt to give the hound an advantage.)
- How long has the dog been here? (We do adjust pricing regularly on dogs that haven't been placed.)
We take all that information into consideration when pricing an adoptive dog. Obviously, we lose money on many dogs. So we have to make up for it on others. Anything that we recover in adoption fees, above and beyond their cost & care, helps to care for other rescues (food, spay, vaccinations, etc.)
Let's get more specific:
We recently bumped into an adult male puggle, who was not completely housebroken, had zero manners, and was pretty much wild. The owners didn't want to give hime to us, but we were able to buy him for $ 75. We vaccinated and de-wormed him on intake, and paid $105 for neuter and rabies vaccine. We're working hard on housebreaking and manners. We'll be lucky to successfully place him at $ 75., even with a gift certificate for free boarding at Play N Stay.
Compare him to the 2# Maltese puppy, who was neutered and up-todate on his shots when we got him. We paid much more for him, his transport, and his neuter. He has been through his intake process (about $30) and has now been groomed ($30). The points listed above and his actual expense are why his adoption fee is $ 450.
We've had approximately a dozen calls on the maltese in the few days we've had him and none on the adult puggle that we have had longer.
Now, this might sound crazy, but I think the maltese would be glad to help pay for the puggle underdog's care and placement. Dogs are just like that. They look out for each other. They help each other along. It's the power of the pack...one for all & all for one!
Here's something else to think about: ALL of our puppies and dogs are housed indoors. Our areas are clean & climate-controlled. Everyone has freshly laundered bedding, Nutro Ultra Puppy food, toys, and treats all day, every day. They are comfortable here while they await their new home. We'd love to see these guys successfully-placed, but until that day comes, they are happy & safe here.
Hope that clears things up a bit! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
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