Pet Adoption Fees Dropped Drastically to $10 for Holidays

Hey, even Groupon doesn't go this low.

If you were thinking of adopting a pet this year, now might be the time. Six  lower Peninsula and South Bay animal agencies have come together with the goal of getting 1,000 pets adopted by Dec. 31.

It's called "Home for the Holidays" promoted by a local alliance, We C.A.R.E. (Community Alliance to Reduce Euthanasia) that allows prospective pet owners to adopt a dog, cat, rabbit or 'pocket pet' for only $10. So far, the site says, 71 of the 1,000 goal have found homes.

Prospective pet owners this month can adopt animals from any of the six organizations: the Santa Clara County Animal Shelter, Humane Society Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, San Jose Animal Care and Services, Palo Alto Animal Services and Town Cats Rescue. Photos and information about the animals available for adoption can be found at most of the above hyperlinked sites, which that can change ,.

"We're all facing the same challenges of having so many animals—the city and county shelters and the non-profits like ourselves and Town Cats," said Kelly Grant, marketing manager for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley.

The $10 adoption price tag offered at these shelters for the next three weeks are a rock-bottom bargain compared to the usual adoption rates. At the Santa Clara County Animal Shelter, the fees are $90 to $120, depending on the animal. The reason is that the fees include vaccinations, shots, de-wormng, spaying and micro-chipping, plus other services. The $10 fee, representing a 89-to-92 percent discount, includes all that. 

At locations such as the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, the adoption fee is normally $175 for cat or dog adoption. That represents a 94 percent discount. If one is adopting a dog younger than six months, a $125 training fee, which is required. 

The offer is better a deal than when you get an animal given to you for free, the Humane Society contends. Shots, vaccinations and registration fees add up. They have a comparison sheet of such costs associated with getting a new pet in your home.

Don't wait until the last minute, Grant said. She recommends you check the websites of the animal rescue organizations above for holiday closures.

You might want to allow a little time to choose a pet, as well.  

"Some people know exactly what they're looking for, and find the pet of their dreams right away," she said. But others will want to think about the particular animals they met.

Prospective owners will often come on a Saturday, think about it, and come back on Sunday. If they have another pet at home, animal rescue agencies  recommend arranging to bring that animal for a "meet and greet" for compatability.

The Humane Society of Silicon Valley has two satellite adoption centers at Petco in Sunnyvale and on El Paseo de Saratoga in San Jose, where they adopt out rabbits, cats and kittens, as well as "pocket pets," such as hamsters, guinea pigs, but not dogs. 

- Bay City News contributed to this report