Thank you for this article. I know of a retired racing greyhound scam that is actually funneling dogs for a person who breeds indiscriminately and keeps the dogs in deplorable conditions. These dogs have never seen a racetrack and they are breeding these dogs for hunting live prey. What can I do to report this nonprofit scam? They charge a few hundred for adoption fees and they are cloaked in respectability but in reality they are supporting uncontrolled breeding and the place where the dogs are kept is disease infested and overcrowded. How can this be stopped?

I live in the Northeast and the shelters absolutely DO adopt puppies and dogs out within your mentioned price range ($60-$100). It is the unregulated “rescues” that won’t adopt out for less than $300. Cats are even less at a shelter. In fact, look for yourself at Petfinder.com and find Adirondak Save A Stray in Corinth, NY. They are having a “two for the price of one” special on kittens right now to try and make way for some new cats who need a place to stay until adoption. Sounds like your article was well researched, and it brings to light a deplorable part of the “animal lover” community that is for some reason treated as acceptable pratice. Bravo on this article.

I got sucked into more than one scam when trying to find a dog. I’ve driven as far as 2+ hours on more than one occasion to meet a dog/pup. But, no big money, no dog! I was suspicious. Did an internet search on one person, found a very interesting article on her. Seems she gave a very sick dog to someone and it died the next day and then she practically forced another one on her the same day. She was and still is “flipping dogs”, getting them from shelters than charging high “adoption” fees! I was refused a dog even though I went through the whole process of filling out very lengthy forms, having references and vets called. But, they didn’t tell me about the big money until after I met the dog and adored it. They were pushy to make up my mind by the next morning and at least leave $150 to hold the dog. I NEVER heard from them again! They found someone who would give them the $250-$300. My advice, Be careful when they are pushy, even the so called foster family. I may be wrong, but maybe they are making some $$ too or are suckered into the scam. My experience was identical to what wa written in the article here!!! I did get my new pup! The owner didn’t ask for one dollar!! She just wanted a new loving home. I drove 2 hours to go pick up my baby. Gave the owner $100 to cover all of the accessories that she gave me. Now that’s a REAL adoption! And, all other folks that I contacted who had dogs up for adoption, I would write to them saying, if you’re a Foster family or if you’re going to ask for a hefty “fee”, don’t reply to me. The ONLY one who did reply out of about 20 – 25 folks, was the one that I got my pup from. You can’t convince me otherwise that alot of these adoptions are not making more money than they put out for these dogs! I’ve been there! And I’ve gone as far as Cobleskill, NY where the shelter required less than $75 for a dog with all shots and dog license. So, JK, YOU should do some research! The info in the article was exactly what I experienced! And I wasn’t the only one!

This article is absolutely true. I live in NYC. Fell in-love with a boxer mix at the kill shelter only to have it adopted out from under me by a foster group who would then adopt it to me for $300. Yes, the vet care was free and the cost of adoption for the foster group, as the dog was over 5yrs, was $25. The foster group is run on-site and picks out close to purebred dogs to ‘foster’. A foster home is a free place for the dog until they find a buyer. Any additional vet bills are usually donated as a write-off. The forms and questions asked are as extreme as described in the article. I’ve been trying to adopt a dog for months. The last one, a chow chow being fostered. I was denied because I live in a 650 sq. ft. loft. They said this dog needs a backyard. Any light breed research on chow chows will agree they are perfect for apartments, low energy indoors, needing a long walk a day. These foster groups are bias towards apartment dwellers, who are more likely to go for long walks and give proper exercise than the home owner who opens up the door to the yard. What the shelters are left with are pitbulls. A fine breed but not for everyone.

This article disgusts me. Who are you and how dare you! Good rescues don’t make any money at all. They take the really sick and injured dogs, rehabiliate them and yes, charge a fairly high adoption fee which is completely tax deductible, which I see you failed to mention. Even though the dog the rescue has may not have needed $400 worth of care, the next dog that comes in may have needed $1000 worth of care because of the abuse and neglect they suffered at the hands of humans. There are bad rescues out there, it’s up to you to do your homework before you adopt.Yes they check your home adn your references. If you don’t like it, too bad, go to the shelter. Nodboy forced you to go the route of rescue. Shelters are funded at a state and federal level, most rescues are private.

Posting an article like this is VERY misleading. It generalizes and only explains one side of the story. I TOO am a rescuer. One person took your article and took it too the bank. She reported a rescue to the state and started publishing on public forums. Does the rescue have a bad rap, perhaps, but the point I am trying to make is that because this article is out there, she took it great lengths to publicly state that rescues that charge high adoption fees are only doing it to make money and I can assure you, good rescues struggle to make ends meet. If it’s in the best interest of the dog, I have even seen fees waived if someone is willing to take on the responsibility of a troubled dog. There are BAD rescues, there is a bad version of everything. It’s up to people to do their homework. Sometimes you have to have a profit, if you don’t you can’t take the next one in that needs $4000 worth of surgery. I am not misguided at all. I am actually very well educated.

Wow.
Thanks for this article. I have been looking on-line to try to find a dog and have inquired after several only to be wrung through the inquisition in one, left hanging on others, and phoned two only to see that the dog listed “was adopted today…bet we have others”.

I was beginning to wonder about some things. My only pets have come from either my vets office or from the animal shelter where I just went in to pick one out.

I have decided to only look at places like ‘shelter’, ‘humane society’,or ‘animal control’ in their listings – or ‘free to good home’. Hopefully I’ll find what I’m looking for!

adoption groups is just another form of puppy mill supporter, not that all puppy mills are bad, most of them are regulated by a.k.c. and are better than most child care facilities. i have been in the pet industry for years and years and i have never met one adoption group tha was legit. everyone of them charged between $350.00 and $500.00 for a dog and i have seen everyone of them at dog auctions. dog auctions are held for pet store owners, in which these puppies come from mills. or private breeders. you would not believe how many people are there from adoption groups, bidding and buying puppies for at the max… $50.00 then take them back to pet stores on the weekends and try to adopt them out for 350 to 500. it’s all a scam and people fall for it all the time. get real people. research this get the facts, it’s true

that is croak north shore animal leg in new york only charges 75 bucks for any dog ,as for the guy who ask what the problem is , its that i can buy a pup for 300.00 , but i wanted to save a dog but they said it would cost me 350.for a small dog!!!!!!!!!!!!