QUINCY - Quincy set the cost to adopt animals from the animal shelter.

The city council added the new adoption fees into the city's rate resolution at a recent meeting. The resolution set the cost of adopting a dog at $100 and a cat at $60. The fee includes vaccination and spaying or neutering.

Rachel Lewis, the city's new shelter manager recently started work, and city officials wanted to get adoption fees in place, Mayor Jim Hemberry said.

"We never really had adoption fees in our rate resolution before ... It was handled through our contractor," he said. "(Lewis) may want to do some more work on some of these fees, but this at least gets us started.

Councilmember Jose Saldana questioned the cost, saying if they gave the animals away for free they would be adopted faster.

"You're already spending the money anyway keeping them in the shelter," he said. "We'll save some money."

After Councilmember Adam Roduner suggested recovering the costs for the shot, Saldana said the city could charge $5 or $10.

"The lower we are, the more animals we're going to send out to homes," Saldana said. "I know it can't be done for free, but I would like to see it be done cheaper."

Deputy Finance Officer Nancy Schanze said nearby shelters were contacted to find out what their rates are.

"These are comparable, if not lower," she said.

Hemberry responded to Saldana, pointing out people already don't take care of their animals.

"If they have to pay $100 to get the animal, maybe they will take better care of it," he said. "Personally, I don't see a problem with them having to pay an adoption fee ... If you give it to them for free there is no guarantee that they're going to take care of the animal."

Councilmember Tom Harris pointed out the fee covers the cost of spaying and neutering the animals, shots and the housing.