The Scary Truth About "Free to a Good Home"

People who advertise their pet as Free To Good Home, or ask for a small amount of money, do so with the faith that their pet will be well looked after. Some of these pets will be lucky and go to genuinely caring people.

However, there are too many people posing as good, caring people wanting to take the animal in, when what they are actually interested in is cruelly exploiting animals for their own ends.

Even if the person who initially takes your pet has good intentions, the simple fact is that, once a pet is no longer in your care, you have absolutely no control over who it gets passed on to, or what fate it may meet.

Craigslist can be and is used as a tool for those seeking to adopt or re-home a pet, but unfortunately, the website has also facilitated horrific instances of animal abuse and neglect.
Help us urge Craigslist to be even more of a resource to animal lovers everywhere by posting pet re-homing best practices to everyone advertising an animal.

I have read too many stories of “Craigslist pets” being used for dog fighting, puppy mills, sold to research labs, and animals stolen and resold on the site. Some people are simply not aware of the potential harm that they may send their pet into, and don't know the best way to keep them safe.
I'm not going to post horribly graphic tortured animal pictures as I'm sure you get the picture in your head of what's going on. If not, you can "google" photos of these tortured souls..."pictures are worth a thousand words".


Responsible dog owners make decisions with their pet in mind. We don’t move to a new home without making sure the fur kids are welcomed in the new community, we don’t spend frivolously without making sure the pet is cared for first, and, when times get tough, we’ll skip a meal so that our pet still gets his.

Unfortunately, not all pet owners are responsible. Close to 4 million dogs and cats enter rescue shelters each year in the United States alone, with about 60% of these facing euthanasia. Shelters and animal rescues are busting at the seams as a direct result of irresponsible pet ownership.
Still, even responsible pet owners can sometimes find themselves searching for a good home for their beloved pet. Unexpected circumstances, illness, injury, death, economic collapse. Things happen.

If you can't find a suitable home for your pet and you need to surrender your pet, do the right thing and get in touch with a NO KILL Shelter or Animal Rescue Group listed below. Rescue groups have foster homes that take care of your pet while waiting for their forever home...and many shelters are now implementing foster programs into their system.

If everything else fails and you must give away your pet, ask the "adopter" for his license and copy down the information, along with his current phone number and have him fill out an application. If possible, it would be wise to visit his home and surroundings to see if this is the right choice for your pet.

Don't wait until the last minute, as shelters and rescue groups are swamped with surrendered animals, along with strays on the street that are lost or worse.

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