Lots of people turn to the website “Craigslist” when looking to adopt a pet. In many cases, it’s a great way to find a new pet for a reasonable “rehoming fee” and for the owner to find someone they believe will give their pet a better home. However, this is not always the situation. Some people use Craigslist as a way to profit money only for themselves with no regard for the animal. While this situation may be less common than the success stories on the site, you should still be aware of it.
A few months ago I adopted a dog from Craigslist. The ad stated that he was a purebred dog, from a nice home, and in very good condition. It also stated that there would be a $200 fee to assure that the dog was sent to a good home. Great,” I though, “this is the perfect opportunity for me to get the dog of my dreams and at a very cheap price at that!” Back and forth email correspondence led me to believe that the family had taken in the dog because of the death of a family member who was the dog’s previous owner. I was reassured many times that the dog was a lovely animal and that they just couldn’t give him the attention he needed. Pictures of the dog were also sent to me, making me believe even more that I could trust their story and that I would be getting a great pet out of this.
Days later, I showed up at the man’s house ready to get my new pet. However when I got there, I soon realized that this would not be the walk in the ballpark that I was expecting. Moments later an angry man pulled the dog out of a small crate in the middle of the living room. He started to exclaim, “I was told by my brother that you were gonna come take this dog for $200. As long as I get the money I’m happy, you can take him now, I don’t care. Don’t know how I got this dog dumped on me anyways!” He sat the dog in front of me as he walked over and proceeded to yell at three other dogs, who were all locked up in the same crate. Covered in ticks, as well as his own urine and feces, a poor animal sat in front of me shaking and petrified. My heart immediately fell out of my chest, and I knew that I would have to rescue him from this home. I paid the fee, as to get out of the house and quickly as possible, grabbed the dog and left. Shortly after I called animal control to hopefully get the other dogs out of his house safely.
It took my dog awhile to open up, but he is doing tremendously better. He is still very timid at times, and he shows many signs of having been severely abused. I have talked to quite a few people who had the same, or similar, situations happen to them on Craig’s List as well. Abused animals can be wonderful pets, however for many, it’s a hard situation to be put in that involves lots of money, time, and patience. It is heartbreaking to know that their are such cruel people out their that can abuse poor animals and then even try to make a profit from them. When adopting or searching for a new owner for your pet online, make sure that you do your research very thoroughly! Their are many people online who do not have the real intentions that they state. Make sure that if you are looking to rehome your pet, that you are not giving it to someone who will not adequately take care of him/her, and maybe even just be trying to turn around and sell your pet for more money. If you are looking to adopt a pet, make sure you know to the best of your ability what kind of situation you are getting into.
