Why it could cost more to adopt a new friend from Stanislaus Animal Services Agency

Proposed fees would push up the cost of getting a rabies shot for your dog in Stanislaus County.

Higher fees for adopting a dog and surrendering a pet to the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency also could be approved by county supervisors Tuesday.

Ten years have passed since the animal services charges were last updated, according to Scotty Douglass, interim director of Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, a joint powers agency including the county unincorporated area, Modesto, Ceres, Hughson, Patterson and Waterford. The fees don’t apply inside other cities.

Under the proposals, a rabies vaccination will cost $10, up from $6. Dog adoption fees will jump from $90 to $120, though a $20 discount is available for residents of member jurisdictions. An owner will pay $40 to surrender a pet, which amounts to a $10 increase. The fee increases will go into effect 30 days after approval.

Douglass said a survey showed the fees are reasonable when compared with charges in eight other counties, including Fresno, Kern, Madera, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Tulare.

Though Sacramento and Fresno are still charging $6, the cost for a rabies vaccination is $10 in five of the counties, or $1 above the average.

According to the survey, dog adoption fees range from $75-$85 in Kern County to $150-$180 in Fresno, while the eight-county average is $111-$121.

The proposed $40 pet surrender fee is average in the eight-county survey. About 800 animals are surrendered by their owners every year because the pets are aggressive or terminally ill or the owners are moving. The surrender fee is paid for a veterinarian to euthanize a terminally ill animal, a report says.

Stanislaus Animal Services also tries to find a new home or rescue for surrendered pets.

The Stanislaus County fees will bring in an estimated $70,000 annually to cover costs of salaries, facility maintenance, utilities and other costs that have risen since the last fee increase in 2008. The Animal Services Agency has a shelter at 3647 Cornucopia Way.

The county Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the basement chamber of Tenth Street Place, at 1010 10th St., Modesto.

This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 4:12 PM.