CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NBCUniversal’s Clear the Shelters campaign is underway. The annual campaign spreads the word about adopting shelter pets and helps them find new homes.
Reduced or waived adoption fees are a common tactic used by animal shelters to clear kennels. However, some people have worried this reduction in fees can have a negative impact.
At the center of this misconception is the logic that a pet adopted for free or at a discount isn't as valued. Another concern is the animal could be placed in a home that can't afford proper care.
Some believe this can ultimately result in many of these pets being returned to the shelter.
The Question
Do waived or reduced fees encourage poor care for a pet or returns to the shelter?
The Sources
Dr. Josh Fisher, Director, CMPD Animal Care and Control (ACC)
Various studies, including research by Maddie's Fund and ASPCA
The Answer
No, waived or reduced adoption fees do not encourage poor outcomes for shelter pets more than regular adoption fees.
What We Found
The 2006 ASPCA research on cat adoptions found cats adopted with fees and cats adopted for free were equally likely to remain in their new homes and were just as valued by their adopters. The study also found waiving fees led to a 50% increase in cat adoptions.
"All of the research supports that the pets that are acquired through fee-waived adoptions are just as valued in the home,” Fisher said. “They sleep on the bed just as frequently. They get veterinary care just as frequently and are valued members of the family.”
The 2011 Maddie's Fund study on cat and dog adoptions found the return-to-shelter rate was below average for the waived-fee group.
“The economy is tight right now,” Fisher said. “So, if we're able to waive an adoption fee and allow someone to adopt without that, they can put that money towards the initial veterinary visit for that pet, the pet deposit they may have to put down if they're living in an apartment or a rental property, and those other things that they need to be successful pet owners.”
Best Friends Network said what counts in pets’ outcomes most is a conversation-based adoption process with an application and creating a paper trail, which people looking for animals for nefarious reasons try to avoid. Fisher said CMPD ACC keeps a record of who adopts its animals and also links that information to a microchip embedded in the pet.
"We have a record of who took the dog,” Fisher said. "So, if we have dogs that are leaving us and going and ending up in these situations, they can be traced back to the individual that took them from us.”
Facing an ongoing capacity crisis, CMPD ACC is now seeking commercial sponsors to allow the agency to waive or cut fees. Those donating money towards an adoption can specify a pet they would like to sponsor or let the shelter select a pet based on the animal's length of stay or urgency.
This is the current adoption pricing at CMPD ACC:
Adult Dog (4 months and over) Male $113.00 Female $118.00
Puppies (4 months and under) Male $103.00 Female $108.00
Cats (4 months and over) Male $93.00 Female $98.00
Kittens (4 months and under) Male $83.00 Female $88.00
To sponsor a pet’s adoption, visit Animal Care and Control’s website.
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.