Do You Have to Pay to Adopt a Dog? Everything You Need to Know

Adopting a dog is one of the best things you can do. Not only are you giving a dog a new home, but you may be saving a dog from a bad situation or from having to move around constantly. That said, you may be wondering if adopting a dog is free, especially because it sounds like you’re doing the shelter or rescue a favor.

So, do you have to pay to adopt a dog? The short answer is, yes, nine times out of ten, you have to pay to adopt a dog. This is an adoption fee that shelters, rescues, and foster programs have to recoup some of the costs.

Still, the fee is often less than paying a breeder, and this article takes you through everything you need to know. Read on to learn more.

What Is the Dog Adoption Process?

It’s important to understand the dog adoption process because it’s common for people to mix up adoption with buying a dog from a breeder or use adoption as a blanket term. However, the process of animal adoption is very different from buying an animal from a breeder.

When you adopt a dog, you’re adopting a dog from a shelter, rescue, or foster program that houses dogs that need a home. Then, when you adopt a dog, the process is more extensive, and you have to make a commitment to their health and longevity.

For this reason, the adoption process often involves contacting references, ensuring that your home is safe for pets, and that you have the time and resources to care for a dog properly. Breeders, on the other hand, will usually just provide you with medical records, ask for a fee, and send you on your way.

Do You Have to Pay to Adopt a Dog?

Yes, you have to pay to adopt a dog. More often than not, you have to pay an adoption fee. This fee varies based on the shelter, rescue, or foster program. Typically, these fees are only there to cover the cost of important surgeries or vaccinations.

Therefore, it’s different than paying a breeder who can set the price based on the breed, gender, and rarity of the dog. In fact, the adoption fee for most dogs in a specific age range tends to be similar.

How Much Do You Have to Pay to Adopt a Dog?

The cost to adopt a dog is around $50 and $350. Most shelters, rescues, and fosters will charge a similar fee, with rescues and fosters being a little more expensive than shelters (on average).

The adoption fee that you’re paying goes to things like housing, food, and medical care. In short, the shelter or rescue will use the adoption fee to cover the cost of housing the animal. This is because most shelters, rescues, and foster programs are nonprofits and don’t have any other type of income.

How Much Do You Have to Pay to Adopt a Puppy?

It’s important to note that adopting a puppy tends to be more expensive than adopting a full-grown dog or a senior dog. Most shelters will charge more for a puppy if they’re less than six months old.

For this reason, the fee may be more in that $150 to $350 range compared to your average dog or senior dog. In fact, dogs that are more than six years old tend to be more affordable than puppies and other adult dogs due to their age.

Do You Have to Pay to Adopt a Dog? Our Final Thoughts 

So, do you have to pay to adopt a dog? Unfortunately, it really depends on the process and who you’re adopting a dog from. If everything is being done above board, then, yes, you usually have to pay some type of fee. However, if a friend or family member is giving you a pet because you can no longer care for them, then no, you don’t have to pay.

While you do have to pay to adopt a dog, that doesn’t mean you should spend a fortune on it. Always check around for shelters and rescues in your area that offer low adoption fees for pets, and you can always use adoption tools from platforms like Dog Academy that make it easy to find dogs available for adoption in your area.