Pathetic John, to comment on a post score, you really must get out a little more, considering you are confined to certain "types" of threads, you need to look a little more closely! In any case, just pathetic.

Its a shame you cant share who you help, if you do at all, not to worry.

I am just not sure of what the go is over there, BD said they ask for a donation when getting a dog from a rescue, here it is an adoption fee, pure and simple, the rescues require money to run. I have as not seen a person making million's from running a rescue.....
Has anyone asked these rescues why? I know I would.
As for pedigree dogs, are these dogs papered?? Do they know the history of these dogs or is it just a guess that they are purebred dogs?? A bit like Scratch I have no idea if he is pedigree, but I call him a Maltese as I can only identify that breed in him.
I think along the lines of buying any dog, you need to find out what the rescue's policy is and if you don't agree, don't buy, again a simple idea. BD said she bought cats from a rescue that did not desex, vaccinate, worm etc, she gave money to a rescue that should not be running! How is that having a problem with rescue groups charging a 'donation' (or what we call it, an adoption fee)?? At least get an animal from a rescue who does the proper thing and desex, vaccinate and worm them, which also allows them to see a vet and get a general health check.



I think we don't agree very often but I agree!!!!

18yrs ago! The Cat is still here. My point was they STILL do it now, many rescues, as they are exempt from any control or licencing.

Again obviously a different country thing, licensing here to get a Clause 16D is restricted a bit (where you can pull dogs out of the pound for the microchipping cost) and rehome it within a year, everything has to be documented and be able to verify the goings ons.
But to get not for profit status is really hard and requires inspections and there are laws restricting their handlings of money etc, and if a rescue didn't desex their animals or vacc, the legitimate rescues would be all over it and have people investigating it to get it shut down!!
P.S Glad the cat is still here 18yrs is a fair age

Yes I have 3 "oldies" two at 18 and one at approaching 22.

wow!! That is amazing, I am not a cat fan (being allergic, doesn't help) how old can cats get??!!
Not to try and set this off again, but if the rescues had an 'adoption' fee and did all the appropriate things (vacc, desexing, worming (we heart worm test and treat here as well) would you be as anti rescue in paying??
I think it is a good thing to want rescues to be upfront and honest about their dealings, but is your main worry that they can hide behind a name like 'rescue' and be taking advantage of the name?? That being said, there will always be people who bring down the name of anything, as there are good and bad out there.

I know how places work Emma, being in the boarding industry for so long, its not difficult to see what they do and what they avoid! I did Labrador rescue for 7yrs. Although we had a set "fee" to charge if you like, we invariably asked for less, and many times asked nothing at all dependant on the dog and the circumstances. We were using our boarding kennels to house them, so we were still under licencing rules and regs and also any dog we had in must have been vaccinated in accordance with boarding laws. We also rehomed without neutering and spaying, but the new owners HAD to have them neutered at our vets, free to them. Or at their Vets with proof to us it had been done within a set time. This way we felt dogs were rehomed quicker and in better shape than just recovering from operations etc..

So, no I have no problem with rescues charging set fees, but, that is NOT a donation, its a fee, a charge, and by doing so they escape any and all rules and legislation for boarding, selling, breeding and keeping dogs on a commercial basis.

Hi Em, cant speak for Dawn, but I think she may be of the same opinion


Its not the "paying" for a rescue that is the gripe here, its the hypocrisy of those rescues who say "they dont charge a fee" BUT only take "donations" , yet the "donation" will be a set price!

As Dawn says our rescue system here can leave a lot to be desired, any one anywhere can set up a rescue , use the word donation which allows them to escape the legal policing .

I know of one very dubious breed rescue , where lets say how she acquires her "rescues" leaves a lot to be desired, then sells them on for an inflated price , with a very quick turnaround!

I will make something clear though, I have no problem with paying for a rescue dog from a rescue centre, but lets call a spade a spade, and stop hiding behind the "we only take donations" hype, I am sure there may be some very genuine ones that do work by that policy, but they will be rare.

Rescues do charge more for pedigrees, they do so because they know they can sell them quickly, the pedigrees will always be sought after, unlike Johns suggestion that they discount xrossbreeds, to encourage adopters to take them on.... a good play with words , from either john or the rescue


Simply, they can get more money for a pedigree than a crossbreed!! simply businuss sense, what is sought after has a higher price bracket.

No, rescues should NOT give papers with the dogs they re home

I am not trying to be difficult, but rescuing dogs is nothing like a commercial dog selling. Again IMO boarding dogs is different (they are being held there and being looked after whilst their owners are away etc) - that is a business produced by dog owners.
Breeding dogs is different again, a product is being produced to be sold on.
Selling dogs like a pet store, is different again, still a demand basis.
Where I see rescue as saving dogs from being pts, the only things rescues do, is save dogs when they are unwanted or end up in pounds, and to give them a chance they are to be rehomed at a cost, due to the fact it costs money to continue the rescue, as the dogs are the only source of money (ie someone pays for one, another dog can be vacc, any other treatment required ,desexed, - I know I harp on about desexing but truly think most rescue animals should be done before being adopted)
As long as a rescue is under a not for profit, they should be under some sort of legislation requiring a limit to money in accounts etc, and their books should be looked at as any business should plus with the added not for profit laws related to them.
I am not saying that is the UK works (wouldn't have a clue) but this is the way it works in Australia and see no problem with it.
As for a wording issue donation/adoption fee, I find it quite lax of the UK government if that one word changes so much in relation to rescue being not for profit.

I get that the word donation is a major issue, it seems minor but obviously can hold larger ramifications for using that word. I don't know of any that have used that word here in Oz, or if it would make any difference to the laws they come under as a rescue, not for profit organisation.

Donation to me is a voluntary amount given where you can use it for tax deduction to a charity (ie red cross).

Anyone can say they are a rescue organisation here too, but to get the extra things like charity status and not for profit is much harder. you have to show every financial year your books is the same as the local race course that is not for profit as well (limited funds in the bank, where the money has been spend etc).

I guess most Australian rescues call a spade a spade and it is called an adoption fee

There is only one rescue I have seen that has a pedigree dog that was 'gifted' to them all their dogs are P.O.A I would love to ring up and find out how much the pedigree dog is compared to the other dogs, but I would never go near a rescue with that type of ethics, 'gifted' a dog....seriously might go and gift a rescue with my dogs (very much joking)

I have seen dogs called a certain breed but not a pedigree, it just that it is just the main or only breed you can see in the dog. I don't think the 'donation' should be any more for a pedigree to a crossbreed, it is not as if it cost them any more than a breed of the same size to keep or obtain.