I just noticed this post and will have to comment on it because I have been doing this for 11 years and let me tell you, it's not easy and it's not cheap. I have to often BEG adopters and supporters and bust my butt trying to figure out ways to raise money for the expenses involved with my rescues. $200...even $300 for some dogs is not at all bad considering what goes in to many of them. People just don't understand...and it's frustrating at times.
Georgie - 1 1/2 years old with a broken leg beyond repair. Cost $800 to xray, diagnose, amputate. Money back from adoption...ZERO because his heart stopped at the end of the surgery and he couldn't be revived.
Willow - 8 week old baby that came down with pneumonia and possible Distemper. $700 at my foster homes vet, $700 at the EC clinic when she couldn't breath and needed oxygen, $250 at my vet after the EC to keep on oxygen and monitor/xrays during the day. Amount back from her adoption...ZERO because she died a few days later.
Thunder - now 1yrs old, came to us from Dallas at 12weeks with parvo, spent 10 days at the vet on meds, came home with a URI that turned into a horrible case of pneumonia. Cost about $2200 at my vet, then another $100 for weekly visits for two months at the specialty hospital to finally get the pneumonia to clear up. Another $500 to neuter him and remove his dangerous double dew claws, HW test and blood work because he recently just go over the pneumoni. I still have him because I can't find anyone I trust to take care of his long term needs.
Those are just three from last year that I took in.
Razz and Ranger - both received total hip replacements costing $2500 each (which was a discount) and adoption fees were $100 and $150. That's on top of they regular vetting, spay/neuters, monthly heartworm and flea prevention as well as food, toys, collar, leash, etc.
Kip - been in our group for a year. Spent $200 to determine his knee was torn, another $500 to repair it, then all the regular vetting as above. Adoption fee is $200.
Cesar - came to us hairless with mange and skin infections and heartworms. Spent about $500 over a few months on antibiotics, mange dips and skin scrapings. Another $700 on his heartworm treatment. Adoption fee is $200.
These are only a few of the hundreds of dogs I've taken in. I can tell you that I rarely have spent less than $200 on a dog, even the healthy ones, and most get adopted out between $75 and $200 depending on their breed and age.
I am a nonprofit organization...and I am one of those rescuers that do it for the dogs and not to brag about how many I can save. The ones I take in stay with us until they find homes. If anything happens to them we treat them like our own and find ways to raise money to cover their expenses. I have put to sleep ONE dog in 11 years (have let other go due to inoperable cancers and age) for mental issues that could not be managed. That was after 2yrs in our group, $1000 treating mange that would not go away because he was high stress, doing blood work to make sure there wasn't something else wrong, and finally seeking a behaviorist at $200/hr.
Good rescuers, which I consider myself to be, go above and beyond what most people realize. I also have a contract that says the dog must be returned to me if the adopter can't keep it. No matter how many years from now, or what may be going on in my life, I will ALWAYS take my rescues back. I didn't put my heart, soul, money and time into them for them to end up back where I found them. I never want them to experience that again. It may mean that I have to keep the dog personally, but I've done that and am prepared to do that in the future if needed.
I write this to show people what a good rescuer does and what goes into this. Yes, I do this because I want to and I don't blame anyone aside from the back yard breeders. They are at fault here...if breeders were more responsible we wouldn't have all these wonderful dogs in shelters. Good breeders will also require the dog go back to them. They like to keep up with their dogs...and I know a couple personally so I know there are good breeders out there. One of them got half a litter back once...she took them back, fixed them, and found them new homes. Most people out there that breed...the dogs are out the door and are rarely ever thought of again. Those are the dogs that usually end up abandoned.
And again, I've rescued close to a thousands dogs and would not ever think that my adult rescues would not make wonderful family members. The dogs aren't just adopted out to the first home that wants them. They are matched with a family and I will and have turned people down because they were couch potatoes and wanted an active dog, which just wouldn't work for either of them no matter how much they told me they knew about the breed. I've ****ed people off, gotten sworn at, etc., but it's not about them...it's about the dog and finding they best home for that dog.
I think your misconceptions about taking in adult dogs is shared by a lot of people. It sucks because from experience I know different. And it also sucks that people are matched up with a dog that wasn't a good fit for them and felt they had to keep it. Some rescuers just want to place dogs...they don't go beyond that concept. It hurts the rest of the older dogs that would make wonderful companions, hunting and fishing partners.
I'm not trying to gripe about this subject. I'm really passionate about it because I've watched so many die. I've honestly seen the worst and brought the worst back from deaths door. I believe strongly in communication and being honest with my adopters. It doesn't mean things always go perfect though...nobody is perfect. I believe there is a home for every animal out there, it's just a matter of patience waiting for the right home...not just any home...for that dog.
Dena
Originally Posted by Kyle46N
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