Last updated: 22 Jul, 2019
Published on: 1 Jan, 2016
Why reduced fee and fee waived adoptions are A-OK
Hands up who had a free pet as a child?
Growing up, I had a menagerie of pets who made their way into my home (and my heart) without any money ever changing hands. There was Tiger, a tiny tuxedo kitten who was born under the pub my dad used to frequent. Tiger was brought home in a cardboard box, and quickly became a treasured part of the family. He was loved his whole long life, until he passed away aged 15, under the nectarine tree in our backyard.
Tiger was the first in a long line of ‘free’ cats (mostly strays who decided to stay), not to mention our dogs Bo, Snoopy and Sunshine, all of whom made their way into our lives without any financial outlay - even Sam the mouse was free!
All of these pets were loved, cherished and cared for. Though they have all long passed, to this day my family still gets teary talking about these remarkable furry family members, and how much joy they brought to our lives.
So, did any of us love our pets any less because they were free? Nope!
And reassuringly, research shows pets that are adopted for free, or at a reduced fee, are just as loved as those with a higher price tag.
The evidence shows that pets aren’t loved or valued any less, nor are they any more likely to be relinquished.
What a free or reduced fee adoption promotion DOES do is get people to adopt NOW. It’s a marketing tool that can be used to strategically boost adoptions at a particular time. And with kitten season upon us, it couldn’t be more timely to give adult cats a much-deserved boost to their adoption prospects.
The same adoption procedures apply - so you can match prospective adopters with suitable pets as per usual.
Some people equate love with money - but we know love is love.
-Maree (on behalf of Tiger, Bo, Snoopy, Sunshine and Sam)
If your rescue group is relying on the adoption fee as your main source of revenue, it’s time to look at other revenue options.
Read more about the research on reduced fee and free adoptions here...
http://www.maddiesfund.org/the-truth-about-free-cat-adoptions.htm
https://www.animalsheltering.org/magazine/articles/free-good-home