Where to adopt a dog?

I bet they aren’t as high as $190 (which you asked about in a previous question).

Most shelters are very reputable places and truly desire to help both pets and people.

I don’t know where you live or how many shelters are within feasible driving distance but here’s a few ideas.

Get on the phone and see if there are any shelters which have adoption counselirs on site.

It sounds like you’re probably a first time pet adopted. These folks are trained to ask a lot of questions so that they can best help you to figure out which type of dog would be best suited for your life.

And a good shelter will also have a quiet area where you can spend a little time with dogs which you feel drawn to and get to know their personality a bit before deciding.

You might also want to consider a young dog (1–2 yrs. old) who is already potty trained rather than a puppy. This way you get all the fun without the hassle. Puppies need a lot of time and attention to hpusebreak properly.

Anyhow, there are tons of great dogs available in shelters. Some are there for no other reason than this poor economy with limited jobs is forcing some folks to surrender their dogs. It’s not the dogs fault.

Spend some time over the next few weeks getting to know the shelters in your area and the dogs which are available there.

Also keep in mind that regardless of where you get a dog, an initial vet check, vaccinations, neutering etc. etc. are going to cost money.

A lot of shelters do the initial vaccines and testing for diseases so their fees are well worth it. They can also set you up for low cost spay/ neutering which is available in EVERY area.

Take your time, get advice from shelter counselors and get ready to love and enjoy your new friend. Shelters are wonderful places to help you with all of it and you are saving a life.

What’s expensive? We adopted our dog from a shelter for $150. With shelter dogs, they can’t make any guarantees. Our shelter ended up being wrong about our dog’s breed and, since they knew nothing about her parents, they had no clue she’d be diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia as a puppy. That $150 dog has and will continue costing us a hell of a lot of money. We love her, but shelter dogs are a risk.

If your heart is set on a purebred dog like a teacup yorkie, you’re probably going to have to spend a good deal of money on it. A reputable breeder is your best bet for getting a healthy purebred, but they’re not cheap.

Well the shelters in my area are starting at $425 . So I have been doing my research for over a month. I live in Westchester county. I don’t need a pure breed, just want to rescue, and give a good home to a dog in need.

Try craigslist or even a local newspaper. Sometimes people advertise dogs for free or a very low price there, trying to get them a good home before they’re forced to drop them off at the pound. If you go that route, it may be cheaper because it’s already been neutered/spayed to save you the extra cost.

If you do get a dog that still needs to be neutered/spayed, there are low cost clinics for that.

Also remember there are a ton of hidden fees associated with owning a dog. After you agree to get a dog, you still have to acquire a leash and collar, a crate of the right size, toys, and a bag of food before you even bring it home. After you bring it home you may have to pay for pay a vet to check the dog so you can get the prescription for the heartworm preventative, or if it already has heartworm, it costs about $300 to $400 through a low cost clinic and 3 months of crate rest. Don’t forget rabies shot and immunization either.

Because of the heartworm treatment plus above expenses, we ended up spending about $1000 on our dog already.

When you adopt from the shelter, your adoption fee is offsetting the cost of a spay or neuter, vaccinations, and (usually) micro-chipping. If you’re trying to avoid adoption fees, then you’d better plan to have a minimum of several hundred dollars to take care of those items, plus budget for annual vet visits and emergencies.

The website for your country (assuming I have the correct one) lists adoption fees that are fairly high (although not the $425 that you mention), which says to me that the shelter does not have enough financial support form the community to be able to keep costs down. There are also issues of supply and demand related to geographic areas.

SCPA of Westchester County

Fees are from $175 – 325 for a year-old or more dog, or $325 for puppies, or $65 for “Lonely Hearts Club” members (whatever that is) or seniors.

Yorkie adoptions Look in your area for a rescue site that takes in Yorkies.

There are no guarantees with Craigslist either. And most of them are not spay/neutered in my experience.

I adopted one such cat from a person. I did bring her to a low-cost spay clinic where they do up to 100 pets on one day of each month.

After I brought her home, by the second day she still wasn’t eating or drinking anything at all. That’s not normal and could be life threatening so by the next morning first thing I had her to a vets office.

By several days later, when all was said and done between the tests they ran and office visits it had cost me $350.00.

Was it worth it. Yes, of course. But there are no guarantees. When you adopt a pet (from Craigslist or wherever) you are now responsible for the life and health of that pet for the next 15–20 years and it will cost you significant amounts of money.

If you can’t afford a few hundred for shelter fees (NOT $425) you might not be ready to have a pet. A pet will cost you money one way or another sooner or later. It’s part of the deal. If it’s not worth it to you then you aren’t yet ready to have a pet.

@CWOTUS Lonely Hearts dogs are usually younger, scary-looking or something else undesirable, but sweet dogs that probably wouldn’t get adopted without a little extra help. Like male pit bulls with cropped ears and no manners, for example.

I never realized shelter pets were so expensive, either until someone told me and I googled it and found out it’s true. At least where I live, they are just like @Mare1960 is saying. I understand they’re offsetting the costs of spay/neuter, vaccinations, etc. Still, I didn’t expect it.

I would use Craigslist or social media like Facebook to try to get a free one or a low cost one. Still, I wouldn’t pay for any animal I never saw in person, especially from someone who I just know from an email address. Also, try local rescue groups (I know they have a lot for feral cats, so there are probably a lot for dogs, too).

BTW Welcome to Fluther. You’ll find we’re a nice, helpful and diverse bunch of people. If you stick around, you will get to know different personalities and learn who can help with various issues.