Your opinions on adoption fees

[Lis]

 I’m curious to see what everyone’s opinions on various adoption fees are.

Where I live, I can adopt a spuetered rabbit from specific shelters for $35, or from 2 of the rabbit rescues for $65, another rescue for $80 or one of the other rescues for $125. (We have no shortage of rabbit rescues here). 

How much do you think is too little? How much do you think is too much?

On one hand, a small adoption fee encourages people to adopt hastily, without really thinking about the care of the animal.

On the flip side, I can’t see how the rescue with the adoption fee of $125 ever manages to adopt out rabbits. (In fact, there’s rumors that said rescue just pulls rabbits that those that run the rescue wants themselves under the premise that they’re going to be adopted by someone else).

[Sarita]

I think it’s totally dependent on the cost of the care and the cost of the spay/neuter.

I do not think $125 is too much considering the cost of running a rescue. Costs incurred include feeding, medicating, spaying, neutering, etc…I know because I’ve been a board member on a few rescues including rabbit and guinea pig rescues. Even with discounts from vets and distributors, it’s no small feat running a reputable rescue.

However, that being said, rescues must be diligent in fundraising as well in order to get donations to help with the aforementioned costs.

Now as for your allegations about the rescue that pulls rabbits for themselves, that is entirely another matter altogether. That really has nothing to do with an adoption fee.

[AbbyGirl]

I agree with Sarita. The rabbit sanctuary near me has a $60 adoption fee. They depend solely on donations, fundraisers and their adoption fee. That being said, I don’t believe $125 is too much to ask when you consider the cost for vet checks + spay and neuters.

[lwayne]

Leo’s adoption was $50 from the sanctuary here. I thought that was a great deal since he came home neutered and litter trained! And I think $50 is too much for a spur-of-the moment pet.  I would have paid $100 though, knowing the money went to a good cause.  (I’ve made donations to them).

Should pet store bunnies cost more too? Less people would buy pet bunnies and less would end up at shelters. I wish they just stressed the importance of sputering…

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I wouldn’t pay much more for a rescue than a pet store rabbit, maybe 10 bucks. ETA- I don’t have any real reasoning for this besides  I like babies and don’t mind the obnoxious training stage. But I don’t think rescues should sell unaltered, so theres that.

The whole system needs restructuring, but it would never get approved. For example, pet stores and unlicensed breeders (people on craigslist, etc) can only sell altered rabbits, licensed and arba approved breeders could sell un-altered because they breed to improve the species, but they could bump their prices for their expertise to avoid every John and Jane Smith wanting to start a rabbitry. You could also make them sign a “I wont breed unless certified punishable by law” waiver. However this basically means that those pet stores who still decide to sell them would sell them for much more because they’d have to keep females until 5 months, and would likely keep them in less than healthy conditions for that first 5 months and would rarely if ever be handled. Unless of course they tighten up the laws for whats considered animal abuse and require x amount of space per animal and absolutely no wire floors, along with a mandatory “rabbit handler” (which isn’t unheard of, I know people who’ve had a mandatory cat petter position at places like petco). That should be done anyway, honestly. The “xlarge” rabbit cages they sell should be banned or come doorless with a xpen. Small cages shouldn’t exist. Oh, so much more.

Man, if only I ruled the world

[MoveDiagonally]

“I can’t see how the rescue with the adoption fee of $125 ever manages to adopt out rabbits.”

Dexter and Penny were not altered when I decided to adopt them. I paid for the spaying/neutering and the rescue waived the adoption fee. If you took what I spent to alter them and divide it by two I paid $195 to adopt each of my buns. I would have paid $125 for an altered rabbit.

I think anything from the cost of spay/neuter and down is reasonable.

[piperknitsRN]

I think $125 is reasonable for a pair of bunnies… in fact, given the high costs of neutering (and spaying in particular) it’s actually a deal. My first bunny, Olive, was $65 from a breeder, and as she was a baby bunny, I had to spend nearly $300 to spay her when the time came. Simon, my new and very dear NZ white, was $25 from the shelter–I hate to think of my rabbits in terms of money, but $25 for a neutered, sweetheart of a rabbit is a deal in my books. I have seen prices around here go for as much as $120/pair of rabbits, but that’s cheaper, per rabbit, than I paid for Olive. I actually like raising rabbits from baby bunnyhood (call me crazy) but given the amount of homeless and abandoned rabbits, it feels good to give one from a shelter, a home.

[Stickerbunny]

I paid $10 to adopt Powder from the shelter, unaltered since they don’t spay/neuter rabbits there – but I kind of cringed at how easy it was and cheap to get him, so many buns could easily go to a spur of the moment home… all they did was call the number we gave for our landlord (who could have easily NOT been our landlord) to ask if it was OK to have a rabbit. Then it was “congrats on your new pet, give us $10”.

I paid $40 for Stickers, also unaltered, but she came with a cage (which was TINY) and it was from a private foster, who offered to lower the rehome fee (probably would have waved it) but the money was to go to her daughter, who was at her grandfathers because she had become so attached to the bun that her mother didn’t trust her not to cry her eyes out over it. We felt bad for the girl, so gave her the full money and I sent them updates for a while, since the girl wanted to know the bunny was taken care of.

The rescue here charges $65 per rabbit, altered. I was going to go through them, but I saw Powder on petfinder and felt so bad for him! He’d been there forever and the rescue uses fosters, so they were in a home whereas the shelter buns were in little cages… so I went with the shelter.

I don’t see $125 as too much, if the cost of spay/neuter in the area is a lot (which in some places it is!) – it costs a LOT to run a rescue, just think of how much we spend on our healthy rabbits… and they get a lot of unhealthy buns that need vet care, food, often it takes a while to adopt them out. It cost me $95 to neuter Powder, so $105 for him and $135 to spay Stickers, so $175 for her when it comes down to it.

I am not sure how much pet stores sell bunnies for in this area since none of the ones I have been in have sold rabbits, just guinea pigs/hamsters/gerbils/small parrots (budgies and one conure at a time).

[lwayne]

Oh I forgot to mention, our sanctuary (where I got Leo) makes a potential adopter fill out a questionnaire to see if they are fit to handle the responsibilities of having a pet rabbit. They do this screening to find good homes. Since they are a sanctuary, they want to ensure bunnies go to good homes. I think they’ll do follow ups too (I just kept in touch with the people there on my own). And they highlight that they rather take the rabbit back then see it up on craigslist a few weeks/months later. They have had people slip through and had to re-rescue bunnies, so its not perfect, but probably better than not having a questionnaire.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I can’t really say because I have only rescued one rabbit from a rescue group. I rescued my female sunshine 1 1/2 years ago from a rescue group and she was only $25 she is spayed and microchipped. The rescue group told me she was at the rescue group for over a year and I was the first person to put an application to adopt her. I am not sure if rescue groups can’t adopt a rabbit if they lower the price. I live in an area where rescueing a rabbit froma group is few and far between. I do no rescue groups do house visits which some people can lie to get the rabbit and some don’t. What bothers me though is to me it is cheaper to rescue a rabbit then to go to a pet store. A friend of mine adopted a few months ago a rabbit at a pet store paid $80 for cage and rabbit and then you have to get the rabbit fixed so your looking at another $130 it was cheaper to rescue then to purchase one at a pet store.

[Monkeybun]

I know at OHS its $35 per bun, and they WILL NOT adopt out un-speutered bunnies. Same with RA, $35, already speutered. Not sure about other rescues, as they are the only 2 I work with

With those prices, and spays and neuters already done, its a steal. And don’t have to worry about babies!

[Lis]

Please note guys: These are for ONE rabbit, not a pair. There seems to be some confusion on this.
Also, in my area, there is a program through my vet that allows you to spueter a bun for 65$.

[peppypoo]

Adopting a single rabbit at my local rescue (all altered) costs $60. However, they have a policy of not letting owners bond bunnies themselves, and will board/bond the pairs for $100. So when we adopted Milo, we ended up paying $160 for him – including a week of food and board for both him and Peppy while they were being bonded at the shelter. I thought the flat bonding fee was kind of unfair especially considering that Peppy and Milo were an easy bond and only took a few days with minimal work, considering some other pairs might require more time and effort for the same price.

[bunnyfriend]

My shelter is $35 for a single bun, $45 for a pair, they only adopt out spayed/neutered buns. I’m okay with spending whatever money (up to a point) because it goes to helping other bunnies out and for taking care of the bunny I adopted while he/she was there.

[piperknitsRN]

$125 for a single bunny would probably be a no-go for me, although I would consider it if spay/neuter prices were high in my area (which they are). I think a more reasonable price for adoption would be in the $60 range (per bunny). That said, I’ve always taken care to neuter my rabbits, and that can be pricey, so it’s something I factor in when considering a pet.

[Michelle&Lolli]

I don’t think $125 is unreasonable provided it includes the rabbit being altered. If I see an adoption fee that is below $50, I tend to assume it means the bunny isn’t altered unless it specifically states that it is. Speutering for any animal is expensive and even with discounts from vets, I can’t imagine anything below $50 is actually covering any costs. But like Sarita said, it depends on the the shelter/rescue and how much fundraising is done and brought in, etc.

I bought Eddie from a pet store for $100 and he came neutered. I got Lolli from a coworker as a baby. I spent around $250 to get her spayed. Neither of those amounts include what I paid for cages, food, and other supplies. So a $125 or even a $150 adoption fee would be a bargain to me. lol

I have also heard that some rescues (not just rabbit ones) can tend to have a higher adoption fee to weed out people who are not really committed to having a pet. I guess the philosophy is that if someone is not willing to shell out the money for the adoption fee, then they might not be willing to pay for vet visits, etc. They want the pets to be placed in forever homes. Not be returned because a person decided the pet was too expensive or something.

I think in the end it’s all relative. Perhaps the rescues with a lower adoption fee have the funding available so they can set the fee lower. Maybe the ones with higher fees are smaller or are trying to weed out those who are not committed to having a pet rabbit.

[Monkeybun]

Michelle, with the case at OHS, it’s so cheap because they have an in-house medical facility for animals, and they have the vet-to-be’s on site, 24/7. Under supervision of course. So the vets get training on all the animals that come in.

Rabbit Advocates is cheap as we have vets donate their time to get them done

[Molzy]

Another reason some rescues have higher prices is because not all animals come in healthy – your adoption fee goes to cover the costs of your animal, as well as other costs they’ve incurred, including a shelter/building if they have one.

I would pay $125 for a rabbit. I paid $50 for Riley, and then $300 for his neuter. My mom just adopted a dog, a 2-year-old mutt, for $200.

IMO, the cost of the animal is generally the cheapest part of them. It’s their care and uptake that actually matter.

Also, I should note that I will not pay for pets from private owners. All three of my parrots and my cat were from families who couldn’t care for them/didn’t want them anymore, and all were given to me for free. I won’t help someone “recoup” costs on a pet they shouldn’t have gotten in the first place. If I ever had to get rid of a pet for any reason, I would require a fee to insure the owner was committed, but I would require it in the form of a donation to a local rescue or shelter.

[Sarita]

$125 for a single altered rabbit was what I was thinking and I don’t think it’s too much for an altered rabbit for an adoption fee. I think because I’ve done rescue work I value the rescue and the work they do and the amount that amount is not unreasonable – it’s not a “purchase” from a pet store, it’s supporting a rescue. I have to consider that rescues must find volunteers to help for free and that is not easy and the costs that comes from taking care of an animal…it’s totally worth it.

I do have to say I have no idea what a breeder or pet store in my area charges no and days to purchase a rabbit. Most reputable pet store in my area don’t sell rabbits…other animal, yes, but not rabbits.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Adopting from the Humane Society here costs $50 and includes the cost of the altering. Keelie and Kylie were on special because they had so many rabbits in (due to rescuing dozens from a hoarder) so they were $25 for the pair (altered).
– Annette

[Joyfull_music]

I fully understand that adoption centers and shelters use that money, or hopefully most of it, for the care and vet cost of the rabbits. But I also think the price of adoption should somewhat be able to compete with that of pet store and breeder prices. That helps make adopting a rabbit look more favorable if it is already fixed, and litter trained for around the same price as it costs to buy a bun from a store. For me, there is no way I would pay $125 for a rabbit, heck I paid just that for my dog. I would pay probably $45 tops for a bun if you want my honest answer.

Also I believe the Michigan Humane Society, our states biggest animal rescue charges around $30 to $40 for a bun. Also I think the state pays for the sterilization of all mammals adopted from shelters. I got my dog from an adopt-a-thon event and he was un-fixed. I paid a $25 deposit to get him neutered by Humane Society within a certain time frame and got my $25 back from the state.

[Monkeybun]

Why would you pay more for a dog? They are both family members after all. Why more for one, but not the other?

[Beka27]

When you look at the simple mathematical equation of a $40 petstore bunny versus a $125 rescue bunny, the rescue bunny wins out every time. The unaltered rabbit is going to require an expensive surgery, not to mention the cost of a pre-surgical exam and pain meds. Even if you can get a “cheap” surgery for $100, you’re still spending more than if the rabbit was already altered. Would it make a difference if the adoption fee was $50, with a “mandatory surcharge of $75 for surgical compensation”? Either way… you’re saving money.

I don’t like these types of threads because they inevitably result in a debate on the value on rabbits. Sure… rabbits are not dogs or cats, but they are still valuable members of the family. Their care is as involved as that of a dog or cat and you will spend just as much on food and vet care throughout their lives.

[Stickerbunny]

There is no value on a rabbit – rabbits just like all pets are priceless.

[Beka27]

Posted By Stickerbunny on 11/06/2011 07:49 AM
There is no value on a rabbit – rabbits just like all pets are priceless.

Yup.  

[Elrohwen]

Around here, rescues are generally $75 per bun or $125 for a pair. Considering spay/neuter is $300, that’s practically a free bunny as far as I’m concerned. I paid $55 for Otto (from a breeder) which I thought was reasonable, then paid $300 for his neuter (which I thought was a lot).

Hannah was free but then needed $150+ in vet care, so to me the initial cost of the bunny doesn’t really matter at all. The cost of care will trump price every time.

Do I think that $125 for a single rabbit is a lot? Yes, it is. However, considering the cost of spay/neuter, I would still come out ahead so I would pay it. It’s completely dependent on location – my area is very expensive, so that price seems normal. In a very cheap cost of living area it might seem ridiculous.

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