Free Isn't Really Free
Newpapers, website mailing lists, and folks on the side of the road with a big cardboard box... you've surely seen numerous ads that say something like "Free to Good Home." There are many reasons why they are not such a good deal, both for the pets and for the prospective owners.
First, from the pets point of view... Before you decide to give away your pets to any stranger, consider some of the people who are known to answer these ads:
- People who train fighting, hunting, and guard dogs
- People who sell animals to research laboratories
- People with large exotic pets to feed, such as snakes
- Unscrupulous breeders
- People involved in cults
These innocent creatures' lives are in your hands. As responsible citizens of the planet, it is our duty to take care of nature's most vulnerable. If you choose to take the easy way out by giving away animals for free, you very well could be sentencing that beautiful kitty or puppy to a terrible life, a terrible death... or both.
Now, as a prospective pet owner, why is "Free to good home" bad for YOU? First of all, people who would give so little concern to the future of the pets in their care probably also have very little concern for their health as well. It is very likely that the sweet baby you just took home has heartworm, parvo, distemper, feline HIV, feline Leukemia, etc. which could cost you many hundreds of dollars or more if your new best friend even survives the ordeal.
Secondly, your "free" pet has probably not had any of the basic veterinary services that we include in our adoption fee.
Services |
Adopt from Whiskerville |
"Free to Good Home" |
Adoption Fee Dog/Cat |
$150 + / $85 + |
"Free" |
Spay/Neuter |
Included* |
$90 to $300 or more |
Worming |
Included |
$45 office visit** + $15-40 |
Heartworm Test (dog)/ FeLV-FIV (cat) |
Included |
$45 office visit + $25 / $55 |
Routine Vaccinations (excluding rabies) |
Included |
$45 office visit + $100 |
First Month's Heartworm Prevention (dog) |
Included |
$10 |
First Month's Flea/Tick Control |
Included |
$10 to $18 |
Micro-Chipping |
Included |
$25 to 40 + $12 registration |
Complimentary bag of food |
Included |
$10 |
TOTALS Dog/Cat |
$150 and up / $85 and up |
$377 to $675*** |
* Spay/Neuter is included for pets which have already had the procedure. People who adopt very young puppies or kittens which may not be old enough to alter will receive our reduced rate for the service when the pet is old enough.
** For the purposes of this comparison, we assumed that a minimum of 2 office visits would be needed to receive these services. More office visits very well could be necessary, increasing the cost of the "free" pet.
*** These numbers were achieved by adding the costs on the low end of the scale and then adding up the costs on the high end.
So, now that you see how truly valuable the included products and services are, don't you agree that "Free Isn't Really Free?" Our adoption fee not only includes numerous services; It also includes peace of mind.
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