Bc they are not rescues

at this point many rescues are just Big Business preying on our desire to adopt and rescue dogs. There are literally dogs being bred FOR rescues that are sold at auction houses. either go to a local shelter or find a reputable breeder ♥️

Bc the rescues are run on donations and fosters and veterinary bills and spay/nuetering is expensive. Not to mention some dogs require special foods, meds etc

Its because they spend so much to get the dogs adoptable. They get them vetted, spayed/neutered, shots, meds. They also supply all things for the fosters. Its a thankless thing they do. If more people volunteered even for a day with a rescue, they would get it. Also remember none of those people are paid for their efforts either. Shelters unfortunatly do not vet the dog. Still a great place to get your furry friend but you will not know any issues. Hope that helps clarify a little @p_nuthead -

Are you sure you’re looking at actual rescue organizations and not like undercover puppy mills or breeding situations on PetFinder? Where the heck do you live that every single place is supposedly charging that much? What even kind of puppies are you looking at? I just can’t fathom an actual rescue or shelter charging that type of donation fee when the highest I’ve really seen is about $600 for a purebred puppy that was rescued. Rest are generally $150-400 with shelters even lower most times.

I got my 10wk old puppy last summer in June 2023, for $300, at my local humane society. I don’t disagree with your experience, but I haven’t heard it before. edit: fixed and vaccinated

Thank you for not going to a breeder. I might suggest you open your search to include dogs up to two years old. Since I was a kid, my family has taken in shelter dogs, and we’ve tended to adopt just slightly older dogs. They’re great, but their adoption chances are lower bc people want puppies. But puppies destroy everything and are so much work. Two-year-old dogs might be easier to find, cheaper, and less destructive. No judgment. Just in case you haven’t thought of it.

I’ve never spent more than $500 for a rescue but your essentially paying for the transport and vaccines they’ve already gotten

A large percentage of dogs who are at a rescue come in injured or sick. Just the annual exam and shots and the years worth of heartworm prevention is now costing me about $500. Spay/neuter can be $1k if you aren't able to catch a low cost place that does those all day or get in on one of those days that's free. That alone is just for a completely healthy dog. The dogs I've gotten from rescues were $300-500, but that was a few years ago and back then the vet care was less than half of what I 1/2

I got a shelter dog for $50 and paid over $500 for all the initial vets visits that the rescues cover. Owning a pet just costs money, rescues are also screening out people who can’t afford it. Go to the animal rescue league or Angell.