CQ Pet Rescue charge an adoption fee for our animals, which is $365 for dogs and $165 for cats. Sometimes people find it hard to understand why there is an adoption fee; the most common arguments being ‘it’s just an animal from the pound’, ‘it’s not like it’s a purebred’, or ‘isn’t the most important thing that I’m giving an animal a home?’.
There are some very good reasons why CQPR have an adoption fee, and it is actually very modest when you review the costs we incur to save each animal and get it ready to be rehomed.
All CQPR pets are from the euthanasia lists at the pounds. Very very few have received any kind of vet work in their lives. These pets are fostered in homes in the communities, with families who have pets. When CQ Pet Rescue sign these animals out of the pound, CQPR take on the responsibility for their vet care and continued good health, to keep them safe and the animals and children in foster homes safe.
CQ Pet Rescue therefore have them desexed, microchipped, start them on their vaccination program, have them tested for heart worm, and then vaccinated for it. We also give them regular flea and worming treatment. This is usually in the range of $600-$700 just to start for dogs (don’t forget, their adoption fee is $350) and $400-$500 for cats (adoption fee $150). Obviously the longer they are in care, they receive continuous flea and worming, more money, and if they fall ill or are injured, then we pay for that too, more money. Abused, starved? Special food required. More money. Litter of pups come in with a mum that can’t feed them milk? Formula. More money.
The adoption fee of $350 is to recoup SOME of that cost that we incur. CQ Pet Rescue fundraise for the difference between the fee and what the costs are.
As an organisation and a charity, CQ Pet Rescue does not make a profit. If the adoption fee is lowered or discarded all together, the foreseeable outcome would be that CQPR would rehome perhaps 15-20 more animals, and then never rehome any more, because the organisation will simply have no money to afford veterinary care. As CQ Pet Rescue is the only animal rescue in the entire region, this would be a significant problem.
In addition to this, an adoption fee separates the people who are serious from the people who are just like the people who put those pets in the pound in the first place. A lot of times those dogs and cats in the pound were ‘free’, and they never received vet care, were never looked after, neglected and sometimes abused, and then surrendered or dumped. CQ Pet Rescue value our animals. If you’re willing to pay an adoption fee, then you understand the value of an animal, and why the fee is in place and what you get for that, and are therefore worth adopting one to.
If you have any further questions or queries regarding CQ Pet Rescue adoption fees, or how you can help CQ Pet Rescue carry out our work, don’t hesitate to email us on admin@cqpetrescue.com.au.