Adoption Fees

Please read the complete explanation of fees below which is particularly important if your dog is adopted in the US or Canada. Once you have read the following, you can pay your adoption fee using the links on this page. For dogs adopted locally in Baja California Sur, we will execute an adoption contract at the time you take possession of the dog and you can pay your fees then or via the link. Select the currency of your choice (see the flags by country). Please note that if you take possession of your dog in La Paz, but the final destination for the dog is the US or Canada, you are still required to pay the US or Canadian fee. This is because the dog must meet all vaccine, customs, and documentation standards for its final destination.

Please read Adoption Fees Explained, below, to understand how the fees we collect for each dog are used to offset the expenses necessary to get your adopted dog to you.

Adoption Fees:

• Adoption fees are due at time of approval of adoption along with a signed contract to confirm holding the dog until transport.
• Should an adopter back out prior to transport, $100 USD or $100 CAD is non-refundable. If in Mexico there is no refund for my $1500 peso adoption fee.
• Should an adopter take possession of a dog and the adoption fails, they need to surrender the dog to BDLP and all adoptions fees are non-refundable.

Transport and Custom Fees:

• In many cases, the adopter will pay no additional transport fee. However, in some cases (depending on the dog’s final destination), additional fees are necessary.
• If being transported to the US or Canada and transport fees exceed $100 USD, the adopter and BDLP will work together to determine the best arrangement, and the adopter will be responsible for fees exceeding $100 USD. If the dog is being transported within Mexico, the adopter is responsible for transport fees in addition to the $1500 peso adoption fee.
• In some cases (primarily Canada) customs may require a value declaration and can require fees. These fees will be the responsibility of the adopter but generally do not exceed $40 CAD.

If you have any questions, please ask the adoption coordinator you are working with or email us at adoptions@bajadogslapaz.org.

Refundable Crate Deposit Fee:

When you pick up your dog from the airport, you will be asked to bring your own crate so that our volunteers can collect the travel crates and return them to La Paz for the next shipment of dogs. If that is not possible, either because the dogs are going to a city where there are no volunteers to collect the crates, because you need the crate for some period of time, or any other reason, we require a $75 USD or $85 CAD refundable crate deposit fee. The fee will be refunded to you when the crate and all of its parts are returned to a Baja Dogs volunteer. There are volunteers in the LA and Seattle areas (of the US) and Vancouver (Canada). The crate deposit fee is the same regardless of crate size. Travel crates are very difficult, if not impossible to purchase in La Paz so our crates must be shipped back and reused. Thanks for your help and understanding!

Adoption Fees Explained:

Adoption fees are US tax-deductible and help cover some of the following expenses of getting your adopted dog to you whether here in La Paz, the US, or Canada:

• Tests for:
  • erlichiosis, anaplasma, heartworm, and lyme disease; and treatment if positive for any of the aforementioned diseases;
  • Transmissible Venereal Tumor cystology for adult dogs and treatment if positive;
• Transportation costs including:
  • Gas, toll, airport parking fees; and
  • Airline costs as applicable
• Vaccines, deworming, and flea/tick prevention as required.
• Final health exam that includes:
• Certificate for clearance through US/Canadian/Mexican customs; and
• Microchipping for dogs adopted in the US or Canada

Any additional funds not expended on the above go into our food program which remains our highest single monthly expense.