Owners rehoming pet, but want money?

Ok, we have been tentatively looking at getting a puppy/dog. We would prefer to take in a dog that needs a home so have been looking at some of the ads. There are the free to good home ones, but we have noticed a large amount of ads wanting anywhere from $100 to $300 for an animal they cannot keep, that is not de-sexed or micro-chipped.

Now I am confused. A dog from an animal shelter or rescue service that costs $300+ comes de-sexed, chipped, registered etc, a cost I have no problem and understand. I have a real issue with someone who is going overseas, moving house, does not want the dog, charging a lot of money for someone to take the animal of their hands.

Am I wrong in this? Is this standard practice? I could understand maybe $50, just to stop those who get an animal for free just so they can on sell them (not sure if that happens, DH came up with that theory).

Seems slightly wrong to me too :dunno:

Some people charge for rehoming because they are looking for serious pet owners who are willing and able to spend money on the dog. Putting a price on the animal can weed out alot of people who are simply looking for s 'freebie' but aren't perhaps aware of the full responsibilities of being a pet owner. It can be an expensive experience owning a pet, and people who are more likely to cough up for ownership are more likely to cough up for vet bills, quality food, etc. We paid $350 for our beagle, she was a year old and being rehomed by someone who just didn't have time to care for her properly anymore. The previous owners really didn't want to give her up, but realised that she needed a home where she would have company and attention. (She is also a pure bred and wasn't de-sexed, so could have had value as a 'breeder').

And then of course, there are always those people who don't really care, but are just looking to make a quick buck.

be carefull as there are some people out there trying to charge for a "freee" pet, coming up with all types of excuses but not actualy having the animal in the first place.
good luck i hope you find the right pup for you.

Most we have come across are cross breeds, some are not that young either. I do understand a registered purebred to an extent, but most breeders I have dealt with will take back one of their own if there is a need or at least know of someone who looking for that breed as an older dog, not a puppy.

ETA: edited to add registered for clarification

Hey astrid. I think it is a bit rich to ask for money too. We got a lab for free a few years ago - a friend of a friend was just looking for a good home for him.
Have you tried pets haven animal shelter in woodend? They have lots of lovely dogs there looking for homes and the lady who runs it is great to deal with.

Thanks Ginger - we are just having a look around at the moment. There are a couple of websites that combined a number of the shelters and specialist rescue organisations. Seeing some cuties, but they are a bit of a drive.

No worries :) best of luck with finding your new cutie.
I noticed an absolutely beautiful one on gumtree the other day but dh won't let me get him:(

Urgh! I had this exact same issue a week ago. A woman advertised her cat as free to good home as it didn't like small children. I thought it sounded perfect for my Mum who would absolutely love it. So, I contacted her and she told me the cat is free, but she wants $200 for the things that go with the cat such as 2 beds, a scratching pole and a bowl. I have not contacted her back as it is ridiculous. Mum already has a cat bed, bowl & a scratching pole ready for a cat.

There are a lot of rehoming services which do charge for food / vet etc while rehoming the animals. A lot of them are people working out of their own home. I got my Tillie from one of these. OzPetRescue is a good site to source animals needing rehoming.