Recently, we had a potential adoptor ask why our adoption fee was "so high". Read the email exchange below to explain:

Date: Mon, XX Sep 20XX
Subject: Springer Spaniel Rescue
From: XXXXXX@mail.com
To: president@springerrescue.org

Good Morning,

My family is very serious about adopting or purchasing a Springer Spaniel as a family pet, and my husband and I were excited to find your website to search for a new friend.  That was until I discovered the outrageous adoption fee.

It appears that your organization is in the business of "rescuing" dogs, however I fail to see how advantageous it is to a potential client when a person could go out and purchase a dog for the same price that your organization is charging.  Our family is not well-to-do, but we can give a pet a wonderful home, companionship and proper care.   We have specifically chosen to search out a Springer Spaniel as the breed seems to fit our needs perfectly.

When I came across the "rescue" site, I thought I also found a great way to find a pet and save it.  I was astounded to find unrealistic fees and a long list of committees, PR people, grant writers, etc.  I doubt the list is comprised solely of volunteers doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.

Sorry, but it doesn't look like you folks are doing this for the right reasons, and as much as we would love to rescue a dog, we'll find another way.

Please correct me if I am mistaken.

XXXXXX
(signed)


From: caryn Pola <president@springerrescue.org>
To: XXXXXX@mail.com
Sent: Mon, XX Sep 20XX
Subject: RE: Springer Spaniel Rescue

Dear XXXXXX,

I appreciate your writing to me. However you are totally mistaken. To purchase a healthy pet Springer from a reputable breeder you would likely pay in excess of $1200.  ESRA does not  make money on our dogs. The average expense to make a dog available for adoption is more than $600. We actually lose money on almost every dog.  

Our dogs are spayed or neutered, brought up-to-date on vaccinations, and heartworm tested and treated if necessary. The dogs are wormed, groomed, and kept in foster care until adoption. Many of the dogs need much more than the average care, and some have extreme medical costs, sometimes into the multiple thousands of dollars.  We spend countless hours fundraising just to keep viable in this very difficult economy.

Our organization is totally a volunteer-based organization, and we have no paid employees. We do this work out of the love of our breed. I personally have spent most-every extra dollar I have to care for unadoptable dogs in my home so that they need not be destroyed, and so that they have a comfortable hospice-home until the end of their lives. I have fostered more than 250 dogs, feeding and grooming them at my own expense. We have more than 1000 VERY dedicated volunteers, nationwide, who do the same. And yes, they do it out of the "goodness of their hearts"!  You can check our non profit tax return at www.Guidestar.org and you will see that we spend about $500,000 dollars a year in veterinary expenses, but not one cent on salaries. 

As you already know, Springer Spaniels are a very-special breed.  As a result, they have a VERY-special group of volunteers who take care of those in peril.  Every day I am as proud as I can be to be counted among their numbers.

Many dogs end up in shelters. You certainly can find a Springer there, usually for around $100. However, if $300 is too high a cost to adopt a dog, I strongly recommend you consider if you can afford to meet the necessary medical costs your dog will need over its lifetime. 

Caryn Pola
English Springer Rescue America, Inc.
President