Hidden Costs Of Surrender: What No One Thinks About

Every week, animals are surrendered at our doors. Some are left in carriers, on the curb, or handed over with a quick excuse: “I can’t take care of them anymore.” But what’s often missing from that handoff is any consideration for what happens next.

What most people don’t realize, or perhaps don’t care to think about, is the immediate financial burden that comes with every surrendered animal. Even in the best-case scenario, where the animal appears healthy and well-kept, there’s a long list of must-do veterinary expenses we must absorb before that animal can be safely adopted into a new home.

More info: famousfidorescue.org

Often whole litters of kittens are left at our door.

Let’s break it down:

Spay or Neuter: $100–$400

Vaccinations (Rabies, Distemper, Bordetella, etc.): $60–$150

FIV/FeLV Testing (for cats): $40–$60

Heartworm Testing (for dogs): $35–$75

Microchipping: $25–$45

Basic Wellness Exam: $50–$100

Flea/Tick/Parasite Preventatives: $20–$100

Dental Checks or Cleanings: $150+ (and that’s if no extractions are needed)

Even at low-cost clinics, the baseline total often exceeds $300-$500 per animal, and that’s if nothing urgent pops up, no emergency surgery, no bloodwork abnormalities, no untreated infections, no signs of neglect, injury, or trauma. And yet, more often than not, we’re handed over animals that haven’t seen a vet in years.

Now imagine that not one animal arrives, but five. Ten. Twenty in a month. The math adds up fast. Our bills stack even faster.

And while people may sigh in relief thinking, “At least they’re with a rescue now,” they’ve shifted the entire cost of care, physical, emotional, and financial, onto someone else without a second thought. We don’t get government funding. We rely solely on donations, volunteers, and our community to do the work that others walk away from.

So, the next time you see a rescue asking for donations, or talking about the cost of care, understand it’s not an exaggeration. It’s reality. It’s the cost of compassion.

We don’t turn them away. We don’t look the other way. But we ask you to look a little deeper, and care enough to help.

Please consider donating to help us give every animal the care they deserve.

We help many animals suffering from neglect and abuse.

Animals who have suffered abuse need care too.

Senior animals who are surrendered often have immediate medical needs.

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