What is a reasonable rehoming fee?

[Liz CA]

We are looking for a dog again after Ted died the end of January.

We are registered on the breed rescue sites but are looking at CL as well. The one time we got a dog from a private party that had to be rehomed, the family met us at our home and was confident to trust us with their dog so we never were asked for a rehoming fee.

 

What is reasonable? The breed rescues ask anywhere between $250 - $500. Should a rehoming fee be less or is it reasonable to expect it will be the same? What else do I need to know about the "rehoming" subject?

[hornblower]

we warn people rehoming on cl to not let animals go free because dog fighting rings sometimes scoop them up. I believe privates should be less than registered non profit rescues as those are usually spending a lot to vet & care for animals in their care. $100-200 for a private is usually reasonable ime. 

[Butter]

I don't know about rehoming from a private party, but we got our sweet little girl from the animal defense league (like the humane society) and paid $40 to adopt her (at a special function; normal is $75 for a dog older than something like 6 months).  They do all needed vet stuff before adoption (exam, shots, spay/neuter, etc.).  I'd go back to them in a heartbeat.  They really love the animals and care for them well before adoption.

[Liz CA]

we warn people rehoming on cl to not let animals go free because dog fighting rings sometimes scoop them up. I believe privates should be less than registered non profit rescues as those are usually spending a lot to vet & care for animals in their care. $100-200 for a private is usually reasonable ime. 

 

I totally understand the rehoming fee and am willing to pay it as long as it is not more than the breed rescue fees. I just spent a bundle trying to keep my dog alive so I am happy to pay a fee but would not pay a breeder thousands of dollars. We are "adopters" anyway. We like rescuing. :)

[Pawz4me]

I totally understand the rehoming fee and am willing to pay it as long as it is not more than the breed rescue fees. I just spent a bundle trying to keep my dog alive so I am happy to pay a fee but would not pay a breeder thousands of dollars. We are "adopters" anyway. We like rescuing. :)

 

Just be cautious, especially with puppies.  There are many backyard breeders posing on CL as people who got a puppy and can no longer keep it.  Yeah, like there are large numbers of people "rehoming" six and seven week old puppies?  Which is what I see when I work up the fortitude to look on our local CL.  Drives me nuts to see so many BYBs posting.

 

It's also not unheard of for people to steal purebred dogs and put them up for "rehoming" on CL.

 

If I were looking at an adult dog on CL (and especially if it was a purebred) I'd want to see proof that would assure me the dog wasn't stolen -- vet records that spanned a significant period of time, registration records if it's an area where dog registration is required, etc.  I would avoid very young puppies being "rehomed" because I don't want to support BYBs.

[RoughCollie]

If I were getting a dog from Craigslist, I would require that it be taken to a vet for a complete physical, including checking for heartworms, and be willing to pay for that myself if the owner could not.  I would also make sure the vet checks thoroughly for a microchip.  I would meet the owner at the vet's office. I would not take possession of the dog and go to the vet by myself ... too many people have tried to return dogs they got from Craigslist and the owner won't take the dog back or has disappeared.

 

I would get a personal reference and a vet reference from the seller. 

 

I would tell the personal reference right off the bat that our conversation would be 100% confidential.  Doing that sometimes loosens tongues if the person has something bad to say about the owner regarding the dog -- ie, if he beats the dog or keeps it in a crate in the garage most of the time, that is not good news for the dog or for you as that dog's next owner unless you are willing and able to rehabilitate the dog.

 

I would make sure the seller's address and the address the vet has match. I would make sure the dog had been brought to the vet for regular wellness checks, when it was sick, that it was up-to-date on all required vaccines, that it had been checked for heartworms (many vets do that yearly even if the dog is on a preventative), and ask about illness, allergies, injuries, and whether it has been spayed or neutered.  I'd ask for (and receive) a copy of the dog's vet records, too.  Vets put all sorts of things into those records.  A recent dog our rescue took in had this in her record:  XX has not bitten anyone yet.  Yet -- a big red flag, given the behavioral history of the dog.

 

I would want to see proof that the seller actually owns the dog, too.  I'd want a clear record of where the dog came from.  There are a lot of puppy and dog flippers on Craigslist.  There are a lot of dogs who originally came from puppy mills (purchased directly from the mill or at a pet store), or who have been carelessly backyard bred by people who are essentially small-time puppy millers. The risk with these dogs is poor breeding: genetic diseases, poor temperaments,etc.

 

I would not be taken in by sad stories about why the dog is being "re-homed".  Sometimes these stories are true, often they are riddled with lies, and sometimes they are a little bit true. A little bit true:  yes, the dog killed one of the owner's chickens, but just coincidentally, it also requires surgery that costs $3,000 and up, and that has a long recovery period.  A Rescue may be willing to handle that, but not everyone who gets a dog in a rehoming situation wants to or can.

 

Craigslist rules prohibit:  pet sales (re-homing with small adoption fee ok), animal parts, stud service

http://www.craigslist.org/about/prohibited

 

Reputable, nonprofit, all-volunteer rescues like the one I work for have adoption fees ranging from $150 to $600, based on the dog's age.  This fee goes to help support the rescue work for all the dogs we take in, and doesn't come close to covering every expense.  We pay for the major and minor surgery, vaccinations, spaying and neutering, feeding dogs that are in the rescue's facility (foster parents pay for dog food), facility upkeep, grooming dogs, dental work, heartworm treatment, allergy diagnosis and treatment, wellness checks at the vet, and more.

 

Be careful, too, that the dog you are considering is the dog pictured in the Craigslist ad.  There are lots of AKC champions whose photos have been lifted off the web and posted as that of the actual dog for sale on Craigslist.

 

And the reason for all this advice is that you want to be sure that the dog you get is one that fits into your family and meets whatever your expectations are.  You want to be sure that whatever this dog's problems are, they are ones you are willing and able to handle.

 

I am sure there are plenty of success stories of dogs adopted via Craigslist.  You want to do everything you can to make sure you are one of those, because there are plenty of unhappy endings, too.

 

I'd also read this article carefully:

 

http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/craigslist-dogs-adoption-red-flags

 

 

 

 

 

[Spy Car]

IMO a dog should never be purchased on Craiglist. Doing so only encourages and perpetuates irresponsible backyard breeders.

 

Here (anyway) selling dogs on Craigslist is illegal, but the "rehoming fees" are a way of evading the rules.

 

Break the cycle of irresponsible backyard breeding, say no to Craigslist.

 

Bill