When you want to bring a new pet into your home, you have two general choices: buy or adopt. While many like the idea of adopting, they can have thoughts that they won’t be able to find a puppy or kitten or the breed they really want—but that’s not true!

If you know where to look and have a little patience, you can find the dog or cat of your dreams without buying from a breeder or pet store.

When considering how much it costs to adopt a pet, you have to think about more than the adoption fees. There are many costs associated with adopting and owning a pet, and it’s important to consider them all before bringing any pet into your home.

In addition to adoption fees, consider:
Vet Bills: Both routine care, such as shots, and unexpected bills due to illness, ingesting something they shouldn’t, or accidents are part of the expenses of adopting a pet.
Food: This cost depends on the size of the pet and the quality of the food. It’s always recommended to go with premium food rather than cheaper grocery store brands.
Grooming: If your dog or cat has medium to long hair, regular grooming is another expense.
Pet Insurance: Many pet owners are realizing the value of purchasing pet insurance to cover unexpected vet bills.
Boarding: If you go away, you’ll need to pay to board your pets or hire someone to pet sit in your home.
Dog or Cat License: In Texas, the annual fee is $20 for an altered pet or $60 for an unaltered pet.
Incidentals: Toys, treats, leashes, flea preventative, and shampoo are examples of incidental expenses involved with adopting a dog or cat.

How Much Does It Cost to Adopt a Dog in Texas?

The fees to adopt a dog in Texas vary by age of the dog and the organization from which you adopt.

If you visit a regional shelter or city-run animal care facility, the fees are typically between $50 and $150. If you go through a private rescue, including breed-specific rescues, the fees could be much higher.

Affordable Places to Adopt a Dog Near Longview

When looking at adoption fees, take into account all that’s included. With that in mind, we found two very affordable options to adopt a dog near Longview, TX.

Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center
303 HG Mosley Pkwy, Longview, TX 75604
903.297.7387

Fees:
Adult Dogs: $50 and up
Puppies up to 6 Months: $100 and up

SPCA of East Texas
4517 Old Bullard Rd Tyler, TX 75713
903.596.SPCA or 903.596.7722
903-596-SPCA or 903-596-7722

Fees:
Adult Dogs: $150
Puppies Less than One Year: $200 and up

At both organizations, the fees include:

Spay/Neuter
Microchip
Rabies
Heartworm, Flea/Tick Prevention (1st 30 day supply)
Dewormer
Distemper/Parvo Vaccine
Bordetella (Kennel Cough) Vaccine
Heartworm Test

SPCA of East Texas also includes three rounds of puppy shots for puppies.

Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center also includes 30 days of pet insurance.

Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center sometimes has special events during which the adoption fees are significantly lower.

Note that due to COVID-19, adoption hours are by appointment only. You can view adoptable animals online and then call to make an appointment.

Another option is a private dog rescue, such as:

Furr Ever Pet Rescue
Fees: Vary
Email: [email protected]

How Much Does It Cost to Adopt a Cat in Texas?

At some organizations, cats cost less to adopt than dogs, but this isn’t always the case. If you go through larger organizations, average cat adoption fees range from $75 to $100. Private cat rescues usually charge about the same unless it’s a purebred cat, such as a Siamese or Ragdoll.

Affordable Places to Adopt a Cat Near Longview

For an affordable place to adopt cats near Longview, we recommend the same two places we suggested for dogs. The reason we suggest these two organizations is that they always have pets available, and they need people to adopt in order to be able to continue saving lives.

Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center
303 HG Mosley Pkwy, Longview, TX 75604
903.297.7387

Fees:
Adult Cats: $50 and up
Kittens up to 6 Months: $100 and up

SPCA of East Texas
4517 Old Bullard Rd Tyler, TX 75713
903.596.SPCA or 903.596.7722
903-596-SPCA or 903-596-7722

Fees:
Cats & Kittens: $75

At both organizations, the fees include:

Spay/Neuter
Microchip
Rabies
Dewormer
FVRCP/Distemper Vaccine
FeLV Vaccine

Longview Animal Care & Adoption Center also includes 30 days of pet insurance.

You can also adopt from this private cat rescue in East Texas.

The Cat’s Meow Rescue
Fee: $75
Email: [email protected]

Heart Set on Adopting a Purebred Pet?

While shelters do get purebred animals, if you want a specific breed, the wait can be long and the competition for the pet fierce, but there is another route you can take to adopt the kind of dog or cat you want: breed-specific rescues.

To start your search, simply type the breed and location into Google. For example:

German Shepherd rescues in Longview, Texas

Or

Siamese cat rescues in Texas

Note that you may have to expand your search outside of Texas to find the pet you want.

The fees charged by breed-specific rescues are often more than shelters, and they tend to be quite selective with their adoption processes.

Another option is to search for the type of dog or cat you want on PetFinder.com. The site allows you to filter by breed and by how far you’re willing to travel to get your pet. One thing to keep in mind is that if you search for a specific breed on PetFinder, the results will include mixes. The listing will specify that the dog is mixed, so you’ll have to pay close attention when searching.

Why Adopt Instead of Shop

If you pop into a pet store, you might find a kitten for about the same price as adopting. If you scour the classified ads, you’ll probably find a dog for about the same price as the shelter fee—but there are reasons besides price to consider adoption.
When you adopt, you actually save two lives: the pet you adopted and the one who takes the spot of your new pet at the shelter or rescue.
Rescues and shelters rely on adopters; without them, they cannot continue to save dogs and cats.
The pets are spayed or neutered and have their first round of shots.
The dogs in shelters are temperament tested before being put on the adoption floor.
Dogs and cats go through health screenings before being put up for adoption. They may offer a dog with health problems, but you’ll know about it before you adopt.

When you do bring a new four-legged family member into your home, you can count on The Vet on Fourth to provide top-notch care for your dog or cat. We look forward to your first wellness visit and, of course, we’ll be here if your pet is sick or injured.

Our extended hours might save you an expensive visit to an emergency vet. The Vet on Fourth operates 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.