[vieya]

Does anyone know where I can get a puppy for free to adopt? Ones that need a home or need a place to live because their owner can't take care of so many puppies? Or good shelters in New York to adopt smaller breeds or young puppies?

[petstar]

Why do you want a free dog? Why not look into a rescue that has smaller dogs? The adoption fee goes into the vetting and care of the dog while it's in the rescuers care and it generally pays for a spay and neuter.

[Aggie]

Why does the dog need to be free? Shelters usually provide food, water, housing, vet care, spay/neuter, etc to their dogs; the adoption fees recoup only a small part of their costs.

In addition, a dog will cost you MUCH more than an adoption fee (city shelters seem to run $50-$150), especially in the first year (when you also have to buy crate/bedding/toys/bowls/etc), and so if you cannot afford the puppy cost, are you sure you can afford the cost of the dog long-term? It's something to think about and budget for.


I don't know of any places that do free adoption- that's asking for people to try and pick up bait dogs, or animals for other horrible practices.

[Willowy]

Sometimes you can find "free puppies" ad on the grocery store bulletin board, or in the newspaper classifieds. I won't make any speculation about the quality or health of such puppies, but the ads are there. You would want to take a free puppy to your vet IMMEDIATELY, because they probably aren't vaccinated or de-wormed, or given any health care at all.

BUT....it's usually cheaper to adopt from a good shelter. The puppies from the shelter are already vaccinated, spayed or neutered, de-wormed, heartworm tested, and probably treated for fleas. Usually for around $120-$150. If you have all these things done by your vet, it would probably cost at least $300. You can find a good shelter in your area by checking the Yellow Pages under "Animal Shelters" or "Humane Societies".

[ACampbell]

What about low adoption fees? I know the city shelter where I used to live would adopt them out for $25 (that included shots and spay/neuter, and microchip too!)
What part of NY? The SPCA for Jefferson Co. asks for $100 for an adoption fee (includes spay/neuter, shots and microchip) I don't think that's a whole lot to ask when you consider the cost of a spay/neuter at the vet (NY also has programs for low cost $30 spay/neuter through the SPCA)

[vieya]

Part of the reason is I don't want to have a dog that is spayed or neutered or microchipped and it seems like most shelters are like that. I just think that it's kinda of cruel. A lot of them make you sign a contract that you'll spay and neuter the dog but I don't want to do that. I mean it's the dogs choice not ours if they want it why should we make that decision for them. I mean I understand the reason behind why people want to spay and neuter their dogs and possibly microchip them but it just seems unnecessary if you can take good care of a dog. I don't want to do all that to the dog since it's technically not necessary unless I purposely look to breed them or lose them. I'm looking in New York City. Brooklyn, Manhattan, mostly. $25 is a pretty good price where'd you find it? I'm okay with health concerns like vaccinations, and other forms of treatment that they need in order to be healthy and if they need to be spayed and neutered to survive, but not if it's just to prevent them from having babies.

[ACampbell]

The $25 was in Arizona, where I came from.
The local shelter up here does not neuter/spay - they make you put down a $30 deposit that is refundable providing you bring in the paper that says you got your dog fixed - however, I really suggest getting a dog altered. Seems more like you are adverse to having them altered, which might give some people the indication you intend on breeding said animal.
You won't find many shelters that will not have the animal altered or ask for a deposit that you will forfeit - that is New York STATE law with shelters...

[Dogstar]

If you think it's the dog's 'choice' that they have puppies or not, you are not responsible enough to own a dog.

[vieya]

obviously if you force them to breed and you let them breed when there are already so many other puppies and you can't take care of them you are irresponsible. I mean we should not alter them, it's like body mutilation, or stick chips even if they are micro into their heads. That is what I meant.

Yeah I see how that would seem like I want to breed the said animal, now that I look at it but it isn't my intention, I just think it's just like someone forcing us to never reproduce and all and altering us.

[ACampbell]

I'm of the opinion that some people need to be altered as well so guess I'm no help.
Good luck finding any kind of shelter that will do that, they are bound by NY state law to require at least a deposit on an unaltered animal...
You'd do better to look in the newspaper for "free puppies" or at the grocery store on the bulletin boards. However, what is the difference of having an un-altered animal and keeping it penned up say when she is in heat and not allowing her to breed...same difference, just now you have to deal with a dog that is dripping blood all over the house. IMO, it's probably nicer for the animal to not have to deal with raging hormones and getting no nookie!

[Max'sHuman]

It sounds like you are a compassionate person and want to do right by dogs but the logic of letting a dog "choose" is not good logic. You know what I think of to prove it? Antifreeze. Lots of dogs choose to drink anti-freeze because it tastes good. But it kills them. Thing is dogs don't really have the same ability to reason out choices that we as humans do so sometimes we have to choose what is best for them. It's kind of like with human children. If left to their own devices they would make all kinds of bad choices, so sometimes as the responsible adult we have to make choices for them. They aren't the "fun" options, but they are the smart, responsible ones.

[ACampbell]

I agree with Max's 100%...
Would you allow a child to choose their own bedtime? No, because you want them to get plenty of sleep and be well rested.
That and any child will chose fast food over home cooked...that doesn't mean it's good for them - if I let my kids they'd eat McDonalds all the time..but uhm, NO, they don't need clogged arteries at the age of 6.
Does that make me mean? Possibly.
It's natural for a mother to look out for their offspring.

Not to mention some of the attributed health concerns of unaltered animals.

[Twinney]

If you don't alter you dog:
What if it's a female, goes into heat, get's loose. One day you notice she's getting alittle fat... I've had that problem, that's why Shunka was spayed. Puppies aren't exactly all that great. They are fun, but deworming and shots are expensive. Them probably being mutts, you'll probably have to take them to a shelter.
What if it's a male, it gets territorial about his space and gets loose one day. He's a small breed, the dog who's invading the territory is a large breed. You dog can't defend himself and is killed in the fight.
I wish I would of gotten from a shelter instead of the 'free puppy' ad. It's alot cheaper now that all the dogs will soon be going in to follow in Shunka's shoes to be fixed. $100 for the females $75 for the male. Total bills being $300 and $275 in the long run of the testing and such they do.

I would really recomobviously if you force them to breed and you let them breed when there are already so many other puppies and you can't take care of them you are irresponsible. I mean we should not alter them, it's like body mutilation, or stick chips even if they are micro into their heads. That is what I meant.

We never planned for Shunka to get bred either. Accidental leaving her home alone outside with loose males running around.
Micro chips have saved many dogs lives, I've found a micro chipped dog before and got a small reward for returning it.
I don't really understand how its mutilation. A male dog can't get testicular cancer after he's been neutered. Not to mention, men have 'been lining up to get neutered' as well.
I really recommend you get a puppy from a shelter, so you would be saving that puppy (or dogs) life.

[Willowy]

Just so you know.....they don't "stick chips even if they are micro into their heads"; the microchips are put under their skin, between the shoulder blades. It's like a vaccination; my dogs didn't even notice when the chips were inserted. They're very small, the size of a grain of rice. Even the most responsible owner may have a dog escape or get stolen, and microchips will ensure that the dog will get back to you. I think they're great.

As for spaying and neutering, well....I've never known a female dog that died of old age without being spayed at some point. It's almost always required because of health problems. So I prefer to do it while the dog is still young and healthy, as I've known a couple of dogs who died during an emergency spay later in life. I guess it's the same way that a lot of women require hysterectomies at some point in their lives, but it seems to be more of an issue with dogs. The way they've been bred to go into heat twice a year (wolves and other wild canids only go into heat once a year) seems to cause issues. Simply domesticating dogs is highly unnatural, so there are some unnatural things we need to do to extend their lifespans or improve the quality of their lives.

You can have an unneutered male for life, if that's what you prefer. Some unneutered males are obnoxious (too much testosterone makes you stoopid), but many are perfectly well behaved. Some of that is due to training or lack of it, but I do think that some males have a hormonal imbalance that makes them worse than a "normal" male. If I chose to have an unneutered male, I would look into getting him a vasectomy so I would never have to worry about him getting a girl pregnant. It doesn't take very long, you just look away and he's tied with the neighbor's dog.

But remember---if you adopt a dog that is already microchipped or spayed/neutered, you really aren't supporting such practices. I would consider adopting a de-clawed cat, even though I'm very much against the practice of de-clawing. They all need homes, and by adopting a shelter pet, you'd be saving his/her life.

[tigress]

If you want to talk about cruelty to the dog, for a female dog that is in heat, it is cruel to let her be in heat without ever being able to get any satisfaction.

It's very stressful for them to be in heat. Particularly when they can't get any "satisfaction". It's kinder to spay them and have it so they don't have to go through that twice a year and feel stressed and wanting to get out and not being able to satisfy their natural instincts.

Dogs aren't so bad but some animals will stress themselves to death if you don't spay them and don't let them breed (I believe it was ferrets that I heard that about).

Being in heat and not being able to breed is not fun for the animal.

So if you really want to be kind (at least if you have a female dog), spay your dog.

As for male dogs... may not be so cruel to the dog but he honestly will not miss having balls. Really, trust me. It's not like they all the sudden go, "I'm missing something." They are just not aware that anything has changed.

[Willowy]

Originally Posted by tigress

Dogs aren't so bad but some animals will stress themselves to death if you don't spay them and don't let them breed (I believe it was ferrets that I heard that about).

It isn't stress that does them in---it's an actual physiological response. A ferret is an induced ovulator, meaning she will remain in heat and not ovulate until she is bred. If she is not bred, being in heat for so long will cause aplastic anemia, and will kill her. Of course, getting pregnant every heat is not healthy either, so ferret breeders have to keep a vasectomized hob around to breed the females so they will ovulate, but not become pregnant. This is an excellent example of what I said---"Simply domesticating dogs (or other animals) is highly unnatural, so there are some unnatural things we need to do to extend their lifespans or improve the quality of their lives.". Wild polecats only go into heat once a year, but domesticated ferrets have twice-a-year heats. Well, enough off-topic.....

As for male dogs... may not be so cruel to the dog but he honestly will not miss having balls. Really, trust me. It's not like they all the sudden go, "I'm missing something." They are just not aware that anything has changed.

I agree with that. Both of my boys were neutered later in life (because I adopted them as adults), and they don't miss anything. In fact, they seem a lot more relaxed now. I think it's a great stressor for them to smell a female in heat and not be able to get to her.

[lovemygreys]

We have 16 dogs currently, and I don't think the 14 altered dogs give two hoots about whether or not their reproductive organs are there or not.

Sorry...but wanting a FREE dog, wanting it unaltered b/c of some weirdo "it's a dogs choice" crap is just way too many HUGE red flags for me to actually help this person get a dog. I can't believe there are actually people giving them suggestions on how to find a cheap/free, unaltered dog.

[ACampbell]

Originally Posted by lovemygreys

We have 16 dogs currently, and I don't think the 14 altered dogs give two hoots about whether or not their reproductive organs are there or not.

Sorry...but wanting a FREE dog, wanting it unaltered b/c of some weirdo "it's a dogs choice" crap is just way too many HUGE red flags for me to actually help this person get a dog. I can't believe there are actually people giving them suggestions on how to find a cheap/free, unaltered dog.

People are going to do what they want anyway, at least perhaps the OP got some information on why it really is a good idea to spay/neuter.

I know a dog being in heat in my house is an excellent idea why to spay...I have this thing about not having dripping mucous and blood all over my house...that and having lots of "boyfriends" hanging around like vultures circling

[JeanninePC99]

Free or not, the expense of having a puppy is huge! Vet appointmenmts every three weeks, vaccinations, start-up purchases like the crate, sleeping surface (mat, bed, etc.), toys, treats, collars, leashes...

I'd actually argue that a free puppy is probably MORE expensive than one adopted at the shelter that has a fee because the free puppy probably hasn't had any deworming medicine or vaccinations, so your vet has to start from square one. The shelter dog has to be up to date on shots to be adopted out.

[shewolf4]

I mean it's the dogs choice not ours if they want it why should we make that decision for them.

That is why shelters spay and neuter- they see the misery of "choice" daily. The dogs really dont choose, but act on instinct and that tells them to procreate/breed. How many litters do you think come in with the momma and having no shots, but parvo and other sicknesses? So as good stewards of the animals, we should think and make that choice for them by keeping them healthy and keeping overpopulations down by spay/neuter.

I mean we should not alter them, it's like body mutilation, or stick chips even if they are micro into their heads.

Its not inserted in their head, but between the shoulder blades in general and could save their lives later on. Allot of people that travel do that, allot of truckers as well because they dont wont to loose their companions and have them end up being put down in a shelter because no ID and no one else wants them - so after a certain amount of time "holding " them, they get put down due to the overpopulations- hence the favor for spay/neuter from my side.
It doesnt hurt the animal to have the little chip inserted- heck - allot of horseowners did it and it saved quite a few animals after hurricane Katrina. When you have a disaster, the best show animal can come out looking abused and starved. Also theft- might think about that too. Overall you do what is best in the best interest of the animal - same with children. There is no such thing as a "free dog" or a "free horse" - they all involve time, money, dedication and yes- you like for them to have manners, so have to teach them. Otherwise- in case anything should happen to you- who would want a bratty animal with "issues"? No one- chances of getting a new home go low until the animal gets put down. How fair is that? So in that regard its best to teach manners, have fun teaching your dog and have them "fixed". Chances that they will breed are pretty good, even with the best of supervision- its not a matter of "if", but "when" until I make that decision and am able to relax with my animals. And puppies are work- if you doubt that, start to volunteer at your local AC- they need help and it would be not only greatly appreciated, but might give you a different outlook on whats best for the animal. The animals dont reason like we do, thats why we are stewards of them