Animal Welfare Professionals

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

Hey Alexis!

Our shelter still charges the fosters an adoption fee. We look at is as they're agreeing to care for our property, but we're still providing the medical. Oftentimes that includes sterilization, any URI meds, vaccines, etc. Our adoption fees are very reasonable though at less than $100 for any type of adoption. We rarely get folks who are upset at having to pay the fee when they choose to foster fail, as most are very understanding when we explain all that it includes. On the rare instance someone does request a "foster discount", we usually see if we can work something out based on how long they were in foster, or if it was a particularly difficult medical case, etc.

Hope that helps!

------------------------------
Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 09:53 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

@Alexis Pugh, since you are a Shelterluv user,  have you thought about leveraging the Donation Boost feature? I LOVE the idea of waiving adoption fees for fosters. Is there a way you can say "As a thank you for your support, your adoption fee has been waived.  Every year Memphis Animal Services sends x dogs into foster at an average cost of $x for food, medical and supplies.  Adding a small donation to your transaction can help pay it forward for the next dog in need of love and support from a foster just like you!"​​

------------------------------
Bobby Mann
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 10:00 AM
From: Sarah Sukhram
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Hey Alexis!

Our shelter still charges the fosters an adoption fee. We look at is as they're agreeing to care for our property, but we're still providing the medical. Oftentimes that includes sterilization, any URI meds, vaccines, etc. Our adoption fees are very reasonable though at less than $100 for any type of adoption. We rarely get folks who are upset at having to pay the fee when they choose to foster fail, as most are very understanding when we explain all that it includes. On the rare instance someone does request a "foster discount", we usually see if we can work something out based on how long they were in foster, or if it was a particularly difficult medical case, etc.

Hope that helps!

------------------------------
Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 09:53 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

Good thought @Bobby Mann... I thought you couldn't customize the donation message in SL, but I will follow up with them and see.

Great discussion so far- I am of the mindset that​ waiving all fees for foster conversions is the right way to go, and since the donation option is embedded into every SL transaction, hopefully people will just do that (and we are seeing a ton of donations that way) but I think people using other platforms could take Bobby's language and run with it too! You'd probably end up getting more money anyway!

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 03:01 PM
From: Bobby Mann
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

@Alexis Pugh, since you are a Shelterluv user,  have you thought about leveraging the Donation Boost feature? I LOVE the idea of waiving adoption fees for fosters. Is there a way you can say "As a thank you for your support, your adoption fee has been waived.  Every year Memphis Animal Services sends x dogs into foster at an average cost of $x for food, medical and supplies.  Adding a small donation to your transaction can help pay it forward for the next dog in need of love and support from a foster just like you!"​​

------------------------------
Bobby Mann

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 10:00 AM
From: Sarah Sukhram
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Hey Alexis!

Our shelter still charges the fosters an adoption fee. We look at is as they're agreeing to care for our property, but we're still providing the medical. Oftentimes that includes sterilization, any URI meds, vaccines, etc. Our adoption fees are very reasonable though at less than $100 for any type of adoption. We rarely get folks who are upset at having to pay the fee when they choose to foster fail, as most are very understanding when we explain all that it includes. On the rare instance someone does request a "foster discount", we usually see if we can work something out based on how long they were in foster, or if it was a particularly difficult medical case, etc.

Hope that helps!

------------------------------
Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 09:53 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

@Alexis Pugh, I'm not sure about that functionality but I was thinking that language being sent as an email from your foster coordinator or adoption specialist with a link to the check out. That way it also feels a bit more personal.  ​

------------------------------
Bobby Mann
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2021 07:30 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Good thought @Bobby Mann... I thought you couldn't customize the donation message in SL, but I will follow up with them and see.

Great discussion so far- I am of the mindset that​ waiving all fees for foster conversions is the right way to go, and since the donation option is embedded into every SL transaction, hopefully people will just do that (and we are seeing a ton of donations that way) but I think people using other platforms could take Bobby's language and run with it too! You'd probably end up getting more money anyway!

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 03:01 PM
From: Bobby Mann
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

@Alexis Pugh, since you are a Shelterluv user,  have you thought about leveraging the Donation Boost feature? I LOVE the idea of waiving adoption fees for fosters. Is there a way you can say "As a thank you for your support, your adoption fee has been waived.  Every year Memphis Animal Services sends x dogs into foster at an average cost of $x for food, medical and supplies.  Adding a small donation to your transaction can help pay it forward for the next dog in need of love and support from a foster just like you!"​​

------------------------------
Bobby Mann

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 10:00 AM
From: Sarah Sukhram
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Hey Alexis!

Our shelter still charges the fosters an adoption fee. We look at is as they're agreeing to care for our property, but we're still providing the medical. Oftentimes that includes sterilization, any URI meds, vaccines, etc. Our adoption fees are very reasonable though at less than $100 for any type of adoption. We rarely get folks who are upset at having to pay the fee when they choose to foster fail, as most are very understanding when we explain all that it includes. On the rare instance someone does request a "foster discount", we usually see if we can work something out based on how long they were in foster, or if it was a particularly difficult medical case, etc.

Hope that helps!

------------------------------
Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 09:53 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------

We've had a standing 25% foster discount in the past, and also special promos specifically for foster adoptions. For example, during flooding catastrophes in Texas, we had a special promo just for the mass amount of fosters who turned out to assist and we waived fees for anyone wanting to keep their foster. Foster fails are really foster wins!

------------------------------
Monica Frenden
American Pets Alive
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2021 09:53 AM
From: alexis pugh
Subject: Do you ever charge adoption fees for someone who fostered that pet?

Just want to get more opinions on what other orgs do in terms of adoption fees for pets that are fostered and then become "foster fails". Historically we have not charged adoption fees for people who foster, let's say litters of kittens since they were itty bitty, and then want to adopt one or two from the litter. But what about dogs? What about people who want to "foster to adopt" and state that on the front end?

We are leaning towards just waiving adoption fees for all foster to adoption conversions, but certainly don't want people to take advantage of that; maybe that is fear-based thinking?

Anyway, just wanted to open the discussion up as the number of pets we send to foster is increasing so much.

Looking forward to any feedback anyone has!
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#FosterPrograms

------------------------------
Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.com

Organizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
------------------------------