RSPCA’s ‘Clear the Shelters’ $29 adoption drive in NSW and Victoria, could result in impulse buys and irresponsible owners, believes one Border rescue.
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Albury-Wodonga Animal Rescue’s Ella Bloomfield said in the past ‘free’ or ‘low-cost’ pets had been surrender because owners either wouldn’t or couldn’t pay vet fees.
“You’d worry for $29 someone would get a dog then realise they don’t really want it and dump it or give it away,” she said.
“Before you adopt a pet you really have to think about whether you can afford it.
“If you’re paying $29 what happens when you have got to get them vaccinated every year or if they have an upset tummy or hurt themselves or get a lump, are you going to be able to afford or will to pay to to feed them and look after them the way the deserve?”
Ms Bloomfield said the low cost made it hard on small rescues, with RSPCA admitting the $29 fee comes no where close to covering the cost of desexing, vaccination, accommodation etc for pets.
“RSPCA get a huge amount of donations but we couldn’t possibly do that,” Ms Bloomfield said.
Ms Bloomfield said the $29 price tag could attract impulse adopters rather than people committing to taking care of the pet for their whole life.
RSPCA Victoria chief executive Liz Walker said seven RSPCA Victoria animal care centres, including in Wangaratta, would be participating from Friday to Sunday.
“We monitor adoption promotions carefully and have found that the price someone pays to acquire an animal has no impact on return rates and no negative impact on the animal’s welfare,” she said. “All available research confirms this.”