09/06/2026
There are times we receive messages about our adoption fees, and we want y’all to know that we understand. ❤️
We understand that adoption fees are what they are. And we understand that sometimes those fees are more than some people can afford.
Our dog adoption fee is $375.
So, what does that $375 cover? 🐾
🩺 Vet visits
💉 Vaccinations
🐶 Microchip
💊 Dewormer
🦟 Heartworm/flea/tick prevention
✂️ Spay/Neuter
And to be completely honest, $375 ONLY covers our costs if every single animal comes into our rescue 100% healthy.
How often does that happen?
Almost never.
Take Oreo 🍪 & Peanut 🥜 for example.
These two little girls have already been to the vet twice. They’ve had vaccines, dewormer, prevention, two f***l tests, and microchips placed.
We have spent nearly $500 on these two alone and they aren’t even spayed yet.
What happens to money we MAY make from an adoption fee? Great question....Any money we make from an adoption fee rolls directly over to another dog who needs it.
Gigi and Ollie for example ❤️
Because they are heartworm positive, we will spend over $1,000 EACH getting them healthy and ready for their forever homes. If we make $75 out of the $375 adoption fee - it rolls directly over to their care.
And you know what that adoption fee DOESN’T cover?
🚐 Transportation to and from vet visits
🧸 Toys
⏰ Our time
🐕 Training
🦮 Collars & leashes
🥣 Food
🐾 P*e pads
🏠 Crates
🛏️ Dog beds & blankets
❤️ And anything else our fosters need to get these babies ready for their new homes.
Now multiply those costs by the over 200 animals we’ve adopted out.
And don’t even get me started on cats and kittens. 😅🐱
Our average cost to completely vet a cat or kitten?
$175.
Our adoption fee?
$85.
That means we operate at a $90 LOSS every single time we intake a new cat.
Every. Single. Time.
We’ve adopted out 39 cats THIS YEAR alone. That’s over $3,500 the rescue has had to make up just to cover that difference — before you even start counting food, litter, supplies, transportation, and everything else.
We know there are shelters and humane societies with lower-cost adoption fees. We know some places are able to offer “no-fee” adoptions.
And you know what?
We will GLADLY share those places with you and encourage you to go if that is a better fit for your budget. ❤️ Because at the end of the day, whether you rescue one from them or rescue one from us, it’s another life saved. That is a WIN in our book. 🐾
South Paw Rescue is not state funded.
We do not have an in-house veterinarian.
We have been extremely lucky to work with a vet who gives us a small rescue discount, and we are incredibly thankful for that. But we still pay every single invoice just like you would.
Twice a month, we drive almost TWO HOURS to an absolutely amazing clinic that we trust with every single one of our animals to make sure their spays and neuters happen.
It costs $75 or more just to fill up the van. 🚐
We leave at 6 AM and don’t get back home to our own families until around 6 PM that evening.
And we do it because these animals deserve it. ❤️
We rely solely on YOU ALL to keep this rescue turning its wheels.
Every adoption fee.
Every $5 donation.
Every monthly supporter.
Every bag of food.
Every foster.
Every share.
Every person who shows up for one of our fundraisers.
It all matters.
We are so incredibly grateful for the people who continue to support us and trust us with their donations. We will always do our best to stretch every single dollar as far as we possibly can.
Our adoption fees aren't about making money.
They're about making it possible for us to say YES to the next Oreo. The next Peanut. The next Gigi. The next Ollie. ❤️
We see you. We hear you. Thank you for believing in us. 🙏
