Fee-Waived Adoptions

Do you want to place more animals, including “slow movers” such as adult cats, into loving homes? Save many more animal lives every year? Achieve this without relaxing your adoption standards?

More shelters are discovering that waiving adoption fees is an excellent way to find new homes for homeless animals.

The Back Story 

The Research
Research by the ASPCA confirms that “free” shelter animals are valued just as much by their adopters as animals obtained for a fee.

Tips for Successful Fee-Waived Adoption Promotions
Successful fee-waived promotions have some common features.

The Success Stories

ASPCA Adoption Center(.pdf)
Summer and fall “Free Over Three” promotions; check out the ad, too

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (.pdf)
Summer and fall promotions in which fees are waived for cats over a year old

Charleston Animal Society
Spring “Feline Frenzy” weekend with waived fees for cats over one year old

Kansas Humane Society(.pdf)
Permanent fee waiver for cats over eight months of age

Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation(.pdf)
Cat Independence Days & Raider Nation Cat Celebration Free Cat promotions

Town Lake Animal Center (.pdf)
Summer and fall promotions in which fees are waived for cats over five years old; also check out the press release for KittyPalooza (.doc), featuring feline superstars, such as “Tom Petme and the Heartbreakers,” “Mariah Kitty,” and “Tabby Keith.”

Wisconsin Humane Society (.pdf)
Permanent fee waiver for cats over a year old