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Cost of rescue not a scam

By Gina Spadafori

published 01/03/1999

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Q: I just recently got my computer and was looking up things about boxer rescues. When I first got on the subject, I read a warning regarding those who charge to rescue or adopt an animal. Someone wrote me saying that adoptions usually cost between $70 and $200. I could go buy a dog from a breeder for that amount. Is this a scam? — B.L.

A: No, it’s likely not a scam. The growth of the volunteer, grass-roots breed-rescue movement has been one of the real bright spots in the fight against pet overpopulation. If you’re looking for a purebred and are willing to accept a grown dog instead of a puppy, then choosing a breed-rescue group is a good deal and a good deed.

Breed-rescue groups work with a single breed, such as the boxer, or a couple of related breeds, such as shelties and collies. The groups range from one-person operations placing a few dogs a year to a few nonprofits with their own sheltering facilities, boards of directors, and a well-organized volunteer network all dedicated to stepping in when one of their particular breed needs a hand.

While such diversity of policies makes it impossible to describe a “typical” breed-rescue effort, probably the closest description of one would be a group consisting of two to four volunteers who work together to foster and place dogs of their chosen breeds and are both affiliated with a local breed club and loosely tied to a national network of rescuers for that particular breed.

They typically offer dogs that have been vet-checked, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered, and the adoption fees they charge cover these routine veterinary expenses. Some expenses simply cannot be covered by adoption fees, such as veterinary bills to treat sick or injured animals. In addition, transportation and fostering costs usually come out of the volunteers’ pockets, and they can be significant, as is the amount of time involved.

As for groups asking for money when you give up a dog, that’s probably legitimate, too. No decent rescue group would turn a dog away because the owner won’t pay, but a little extra money from the person who is, after all, causing the problem by giving up the dog goes a long way toward helping keep these important volunteer programs funded.