Yes, they were more expensive than that when I looked at them here too. I agree, if you want to give an animal a good home it shouldn’t be so expensive.

Are you really complaining about shelters charging that fee? If you were to get a rabbit elsewhere and get him/her neutered or spayed yourself, it would cost a lot

more. Not only that, the money they charge goes to help more animals in their care.

“If the fees were lower there would not still be an abundance of homeless bunnies”

If shelters charged a low fee, people that aren’t financially able to take on the responsibility of a rabbit might be tempted to do so. Which would be wrong. Not to mention, the possibility of people using rabbits as bait would be higher. And honestly, if you’re not prepared to pay out that fee for a neutered rabbit, you probably shouldn’t get a rabbit anyway. They cost money. All animals do.

I honestly don’t think $65-$85 is too high at all. I am actually alarmed that there are shelters that only charge $5.

A rabbit neuter costs in and around£60-£120. Vaccine visits cost about £60 a year (if you’re from a place where they vaccinate.)
Where I am a specialist vet visit for a check up is 80 quid a go.
Most rabbits arrive at shelters in poor health and need to be nursed back to health. They have their injections, neuter and vet visits. Their teeth are checked and maintained and any bouts of stasis are dealt with.
This isnt possible off of five quid donations.
Rabbits cost a LOT of money when they arent looked after well, and even when they are. Shelters cant run off of kindness and good vibes. Most rabbit shelters actually do run at a huge overall loss.

Also in a lot of countries rabbits are bought cheap to give to other animals as food or for blood sports. Adding a deterrent price really helps in combating the cruelty

My local SPCA charges $85 and I think that’s very fair since a neuter/spay is upward of $200 plus they are vet checked and treated for fleas and mites. And just a dose of Revolution here is $20.

I understand your frustrations. You would think that an animal (any animal) would be relatively inexpensive if a shelter was trying to get them a home. I have to agree with the others though. There are a lot of factors that go into an adoption fee. Some shelters receive more funding and donations than others. Those that do not have a lot of money coming in often have to charge more in adoption fees to help cover the costs. When you think about it though. Free or inexpensive animals can end up costing more in the end because you have to pay for spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and other vet care if the animal has an issue needing to be addressed right off the bat. Look at an adoption fee as getting a discount because most of the time it is! You typically can’t get a rabbit spayed for $65. If you do manage to find a spayed/neutered bunny for $5, then WOW what a deal! I do hope you find a friend for your bunny. Be patient, the right one will come along sooner or later.

I understand how it might feel that the right thing for shelters to do is to have low adoption costs to adopt animals out quicker. I personally would rather have the bunny in a shelter well taken care of than having it risk being put in possibly a worse situation than it may have been in before. People are more invested in their decisions when they have more on the line. The reason why I said I was alarmed that there are shelters out there that only charge $5 is exactly for that reason. This leads to impulse adoptions and as stated before adoptions to people who frankly can’t afford the animal to begin with. Having spent $500 for a spay and $330 for a neuter I wouldn’t even bat an eye at a $65-$85 adoption fee. Within one year my buck also had to go to the vets two additional times. I am not sure many people who adopt for only $5 are considering all of these possible expenses.

It would be great if more people were educated about bunnies and how great they are! Unfortunately the reason why a lot of bunnies end up in the shelter is because they can be purchased for cheap and on impulse with no to little research.

Some shelters may have special adoption events or even lower adoption fees for animals that have been there for a while so that’s something maybe you can ask around for. Good luck in finding the right match for your family!

The shelters I know of have some really strict adoption policies along with high fees.
Its actually because the rabbits live amaazing lives. They have large pens, indoor outdoor access, vet fees covered, good quality food etc.
The shelters need to be sure that the rabbit will go to a better place than just a hutch. Petshops around me sell a rabbit for 25-45, and shelters sell for 65.

A lot of rabbits have been bought cheap as childrens pets and thats why they wind up in shelters. Shelters dont want a never ending cirlce of neglect or abuse for their animals.

Shelters are happier to keep rabbits safely then to give them away to possible bad homes.
I know a shelter with a rabbit who has lived there for 7+ years, and he has had a better life than most rabbits I know.

Posted By Mahogany1 on 3/02/2019 10:37 PM

I’m not complaining that I have to pay fees I’m annoyed that the cost are expensive and the numbers seem to keep increasing, bunnies in shelter three years or more. I do agree Eddie was cheap he is healthy and a vet visit was 65. 00 could have been 95. 00 if I had chosen another vet. I get the service of neutering must be costly than I assume. I guess I’m just venting. But I still believe if the adoption cost were lower and people were more educated in regards to how awesome a bunny is a pet there would be less in the shelter. Am I the only one that has noticed the length the bunnies have been in shelters?

But this isn’t expensive. In the UK, most shelters charge £50 for a neutered vaccinated rabbit, whereas if you were to buy a bunny from a pet shop it would cost £50, plus £100 on vaccinations and £100 on neutering. Not to mention contributing to the costs of food, board and any other vet fees while its been in the shelter.

If you honestly think that $85 is too much for a healthy, neutered rabbit, you probably shouldn’t get one.

If shelters are giving away rabbits for $5, I would bet that a high percentage of those are used as bait, snake food, or just bored of after a month or so. Sadly, people value what they pay for. Shelters should charge fees to put off irresponsible people.

Honestly I also feel $65-$85 is not much! All of the vets around me which provide rabbit care are extremely expensive. When getting my first bun neutered it put me back $250 and that was the cheapest in the area. Other vets I contacted charged up to $600, so I would definitely say that getting a rabbit that is already altered for under $100 is very reasonable. And as others stated the money is going towards a good cause!

Honestly I also feel $65-$85 is not much! All of the vets around me which provide rabbit care are extremely expensive. When getting my first bun neutered it put me back $250 and that was the cheapest in the area. Other vets I contacted charged up to $600, so I would definitely say that getting a rabbit that is already altered for under $100 is very reasonable. And as others stated the money is going towards a good cause!