Free Adoptions: Do Fees Really Protect Animals?

Do adoption fees really protect animals — or do they just make us feel better?

For years, many in animal welfare have believed that adoption fees act as a safeguard: if someone can't afford the fee, how will they afford the pet? Free adoptions, the argument goes, invite impulse decisions and bad outcomes.

In this episode, I explain why I once believed that too — and why I've changed my mind.

Drawing on my experience working directly with shelters, serving on the board of the Pennsylvania SPCA, and running programs that connect people and animals, I examine what actually happens during fee-waived adoption events. I also take a close look at the research often cited to support free adoptions — including its strengths and its limitations — and explain why the data is encouraging, but not definitive.

This isn't a simple pro- or anti-fee argument. It's a conversation about shelter capacity, long-stay animals, euthanasia for space, and what really protects animals in a system under strain.

Key topics include:

• Why adoption fees were thought to be a protective filter

• What shelters see in real life during fee-waived events

• The limits of survey-based research on adoption outcomes

• Why fees don't measure commitment — and what does

• When fee-waived adoptions work, and when they don't

If you work in animal welfare, sheltering, or advocacy — or if you care about evidence-based policy for animals — this episode is for you.

You can find more resources and past episodes at AnimalAdvocacyAcademy.com.