July 2014 by Susan B. Krebsbach, DVM

Audience: Executive Leadership, Foster Caregivers, Public, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers, Veterinary Team

Video Length: 89 minutes

Would you love to give your pet adoption program a boost, but fear that free adoptions send the wrong message, attract the wrong people and result in bad outcomes for pets?

Free pet adoptions have become more popular with shelters and rescue groups. Those who promote them find they can bring attention to senior pets, feral cats and pets with medical conditions. In addition, these promotions increase foot traffic to adoption events and shelters, raise awareness of shelter animals and attract positive media attention.

At the same time, many people in the animal welfare community are concerned that pets adopted without a fee are more likely to be returned to the shelter, or worse, obtained thoughtlessly or for bad reasons.

Which position is best supported by research and experience?

Watch Fears, Facts and Forever Homes: What We Know About Free Pet Adoptions with Maddie's Fund® consultant Susan Krebsbach, DVM.

The recorded version of this webcast is available below.

Attendees will learn:

  • The benefits of free adoption promotions
  • Concerns about fee-waived adoptions
  • What the research and case studies tell us
  • Resources that can help your organization benefit from fee-waived adoptions

Fears, Facts and Forever Homes: What We Know About Free Pet Adoptions is part of an ongoing series of educational programs from Maddie's Institute, a program of Maddie's Fund®, the nation's leading funder of shelter medicine education. Maddie's Institute brings cutting edge shelter medicine information from universities and animal welfare leaders to shelter veterinarians, managers and staff as well as private practice veterinarians, rescue groups and community members to increase the lifesaving of homeless dogs and cats community-wide.

This course has been pre-approved for Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits.

After viewing the presentation, click here to take the quiz and receive a Certificate of Attendance!

Bio photo of Susan B. Krebsbach smiling in a white lab coat, holding a gray cat

Susan Krebsbach, DVM

Dr. Susan Krebsbach graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. After working as a small animal general practitioner for several years, she started concentrating her efforts on animal behavior, opening a veterinary animal behavior consulting service called Creature Counseling in 2000.

In addition to her behavior consulting service, Dr. Krebsbach is a veterinary consultant for Maddie's Fund® and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, a featured speaker for professional and animal rescue organizations, and author of several articles on animal behavior. In addition, she is the founder of Dane County Friends of Ferals and has volunteered her services to several animal rescue organizations. For these efforts, Dr. Krebsbach has been recognized with various awards.

Dr. Krebsbach is truly dedicated to enhancing the special relationship between pets and their people, and advocating for the well-being of all animals.