I couldn't agree with you more! All dogs above a certain age should be a minimal charge, considering it would be almost impossible to insure a 12 yr. old dog if you hadn't had it insured with the same company for donkey's years, and if they did, it would be super expensive, and if you can't insure it for pre-existing conditions,which you CAN'T, then you're forever going to have your hand in your pocket when you're an avid animal lover!

We recently had this very same discussion a month or so ago, so I said my piece then!

I want to get these poor unfortunate creatures OUT of these places, and it's hard enough re-homing any dog, let alone an oldie, who will usually get walked past!

Yes I know, they pay for this, that and the other to get the dog back on track, but they also get thousands/millions of pounds in donations, you've only got to look at their balance sheets on the net for all to see. They should all take a look at their charges and recalculate their figures, coz I don't see why somebody should pay £150 or whatever for a pedigree puppy worth £600, and yet the same for an oldie, it just doesn't make sense to me and never will I'm afraid.

You're not paying for any dog, young or old. The donation is to suppport the rescue not to pay for a dog. That's why it's an adoption and not a sale.

Well why can't we go back to how it used to be, whereby you paid what you could afford and wanted to pay? If I was going to buy a pedigree puppy, and they just so happened to have one at our local rescue centre I would be much happier giving them £600 than I would a breeder quite honestly. They could have a "minimum" donation, and then you could pay up to £500 for your pedigree puppy, but say, £50 for an oldie? SOME dogs in rescue, are already speyed, microchipped, etc. etc. because they've just been given up for differing reasons, they're not ALL strays who are abandoned are they?!
I'm sure having differing rates it would even itself out, and thereby, might actually reduce the number of dogs in there? I'm also sure they get far more charitable funds coming in via donations from wills than they do by "selling" these poor dogs in any case!

I understand what you`re saying - but you`re not `buying` a dog. If you were, you`d get a Free to good Home one out of the paper. What you`re doing is helping a Rescue organisation continue its work.
I don`t think older dogs are any less precious than younger ones - I`ve never wanted a pup, and prefer to let some other person do the teething / housetraining etc. And you don`t only get medical problems with older dogs.
If you mean really ancient ones, think how much it has cost to maintain that dog while it`s waiting for a home, and how much your donation will mean to all the other Oldies.

Yes, I understand, but then neither are the people who die and leave their house to a rescue centre are they, i.e. they're not actually "buying a dog"? I just want to see if there is a way to get most of these dogs OUT of these places, and I'm actually wondering whether the price on their head (although it isn't, I realise, you're just donating to the charity!)is a bit too high for some of them that's all, and I'm sure you know where I'm coming from here

People who want a puppy should pay a puppy price imo, i.e. £500 upwards, and not the miniscule amount they are asking for compared to that!!! That way, some kind hearted person who wants to take on an ugly oldie or one with problems, might even be given it for a pittance kind of thing? I really, honestly think if they changed their pricing strategy, most of these dogs would get a good home, and that's all I want at the end of the day, it's just finding out how!!!

We've had several discussions about adoption fees and I can see both sides of the argument.

However, I do feel that sometimes some of the larger organisations seem to lose sight of their aim to rehome the dogs. I understand all the arguments about why adoption fees need to be high and that it is a donation rather than a price for the dog, but for the majority of people looking for a family pet, it amounts to the same thing. Ultimately I think the rescues need to also attract potential owners who may not be particularly charitable - i.e. they are purely comparing the cost of say a byb pup against an older rescue.

I have to say that my own experience of rescues has been very good. My first was an older dog and the SSPCA bent both the amount of adoption fee (by calling him a crossbreed rather than a purebred) and their policies of working (we were proposing to leave him 4 hours a day during the working week).

The rescue I now volunteer at only asks £35 for their dogs. They are particularly hard up, but they have found that keeping the adoption fee low is the best way to obtain a fast turnover of the dogs. Just because people can't afford (or are reluctant to pay) over £100 for a dog doesn't mean that they won't be good owners who look after their dogs well.

indeed again.
i have worked at 3 rescues.
all have either cut fees for oldies or just asked for a donation.

good to hear

"Sure"?

Had sight of their accounts?

The rescue I assist has yet to receive a legacy.

Us as well, would be lovely if someone did leave us their house.

I think you need to look at some of the other rescues, a lot don't have kennels, a lot have lovely people who take these dogs into their own homes, a lot work tirelessly to ensure its the RIGHT home for the dog, not a home at any cost, theres nothing worse than upsetting a dog by having it bounce back they have been through enough without coming back. The donation is just that a donation its not for that particular dog its to help the next one that comes through.

Have to agree that rescue policies should be at a responsible person's discretion. If someone wants an oldie with medical problems then obviously checks need to be done to see that that person has the means to pay for the treatment, but other than that if the home is right in all other ways then let the poor old dog live out the rest of his/her life in contentment.

I help CYDRA (Cyprus Dogs Rehoming Association) both with fostering and selling donated items on my market stall, plus the occasional grooming and although we are not a charity at the moment (paperwork being done at the moment, but it is difficult as a lot of it has to be done in Greek and most of us are from the UK), if someone wants a dog from us living in Cyprus from what I have been led to believe if the dog is still in a shelter - yes we work closely with the shelters then they have to pay the shelter, but if it is one that has been found and is living in a foster home then the only charge is towards vet fees, and food to enable the foster home to carry on looking after another dog.

I also think some of their policies are a bit outdated in regards to living in a flat, because I know of a few people in the UK that would love to take a rescue dog in (since meeting mine) but the rescues won't entertain it, even though the dog would be with the person 99% of the time.

I hope you don't think I have gone off topic, just giving my opinion on rescues both in UK and here in Cyprus.