I'm looking to adopt a Yorkie, Corgi, or a Maltese dog. I only want a dog, since puppies are so expensive and extremely difficult to train, plus I already have an adult dog in my home, so I figured it'd be best for my adult dog to have an adult companion. Since all 3 of these dogs are small and cute, I know it'll cost more. I'm only looking to adopt a dog, not buy one from a breeder, that is far too expensive.
I think it depends on the shelter itself. I know some that has an adoption service that is free, while others has a small price included. The latter normally means the dog is vaccinated, with no parasites, and even neutered. It's always worth it to ask when you get there, though.
Adoptions are often free for the most part, although some shelters might charge you $50 to $100 to take care of shots and everything for the dog. An adoption fee is often in place, but you can still get dogs for low costs or completely free if you're diligent enough. I wouldn't consider $100 a high price to pay for an adopted dog, though.
The last time I adopted a dog from a shelter was 20 years ago, and at the time, it was like $35, but I think that included a collar and tags and a little bag of dog food, from what I recall. However we had to get the dog fixed ourselves and have it checked out at the vet to get on a heart worm regimen. These days I think some of the shelters already get the dog fixed in advance, but it cost more when you go in to adopt them - probably around $100-$150. Even if that's what it costs, it's still cheaper than going to most vets and having that done afterwards.
Last time I was at an adoption event, they wanted $150 to adopt a pet, plus numerous times of home visits. We didn't go through with it then, but now we have a puppy that we found on craiglist. He is just a sweet and loving mixed dog without costing me $150.
I recently visited a shelter to inquire about adopting a dog. They charge $150 to cover up the expenses for the vaccines and the microchip. Unfortunately, I did not find the kind and type of dog I want to adopt, so I went home empty handed. We still have a pet dog in the house but sometimes I do noticed that he gets lonely with no one to play around. I am planning of going to another shelter and hopefully I can find the right one for us.
Our shelter dog cost $200 and required proof that we were allowed to have a dog in our home(If we were renters, we would have had to show a lease). She came fixed, partially trained, chipped, and with all of her shots. She was six months at the time we adopted her. Part of her adoption fees also paid for a training class at the shelter itself. I think that the price depends on the shelter but mostly they are looking to make sure that you don't take adopting an animal lightly.
I understand why it costs to adopt but I'm not so sure that's helping any animals get adopted faster. Why not pick up a dog from a frisky neighbours dog? I know you want a specific breed but all dogs need a loving home. The breeds you're looking for may be a tough find depending on where you're located.
My local animal rescues charge around 300-400 for a young dog (9 months to 2 years), 200-300 for ages 2-5, and 150 for older dogs. AND the ones nearest to me all require home visits. The shelter charges 195 for adults and 300 for any dog under age 18 months. Craigslist prices range from free to a few hundred dollars for an adult usually.
You can find plenty of adoptable mateses and yorkies from many shelters. It should cost you less than $100, which is a great deal, since that includes spaying, and they are usually caught up on shots. It depends on the shelter. Some cost more. You might be able to find a good small dog on Craigslist for less than $25 "rehoming" fee. Also, you might try to check out groups that rescue animals from puppy mills? They should have malteses and yorkies available. Good Luck!!
It totally depends on the shelter and what the shelter has to offer already. I used to work at an animal shelter and it depended on their age and their size. All of the dogs and cats that were up for adoption had been treated for worms, gotten their first check-up with a vet (who is conveniently next to us), and have gotten spayed/neutered and microchipped. Some shelters may not offer that but most of them probably will. Though I will tell you if you're looking for a purebred corgi in a shelter, you'll want to look for a specific corgi adoption agency because corgis are SO hard to come by in shelters (I know, I want a corgi myself and have been looking at shelter listings for a good part of my last 2 years).
I believe that when you adopt a dog, you should only be paying for the treatments that it had so far, such as de-sexing, worming, vaccinations, etc. That usually comes to around $100. If the dog needed special treatment, it would be a really good idea to donate some extra money to the shelter as often they depend on donations from the public.
