Free to a Good Home Advertisements

Craigslist.org is a valuable resource. Whether you are looking for an appliance or advice, you can get local information on Craigslist. You can also find “free to a good home” ads and animals for sale on the website. The Wisconsin Humane Society strongly discourages people from purchasing or listing animals as “free to a good home” on classified venues such as Craigslist.

Craigslist’s terms of service prohibit the selling of animals on its website, yet backyard breeders still use the site. These backyard breeders are typically people who simply breed their pets with no concern for the health or temperament of the animals. They may do it for fun, profit or by accident. They do not often spay, neuter, provide initial vaccinations or a veterinary check up. They do not consider the future of the animals and will sell them to anyone with the money to purchase an animal, regardless of whether the animal will be appropriate for the household. Craigslist provides these breeders with free advertising, hence encouraging this practice and further inflating pet overpopulation and the number of homeless animals. Many of the animals surrendered to shelters were initially obtained from backyard breeders.

There are times when people can no longer keep their animal. In an effort to find their companion a home they will list “free to a good home” in an ad or listing. Although people who place these listings may feel that they are giving their pet an opportunity to find the best home, they are actually putting the animal at risk. This is an easy way for people who do not have an animal’s best interest in mind to obtain an animal at no cost. These animals can be used as bait animals to train fighting dogs, or be obtained by Class B dealers who supply animals to research facilities. Do not list your animal as free in a classified ad or on Craigslist.

To their credit, Craigslist has tried to decrease the amount of “free to a good home” ads by outlining restrictions in its Terms of Use. Craigslist does not monitor the ads placed on its site, however, and instead depends on the patrons of the site to “flag” postings that are prohibited. Although a posting might be contrary to the terms of use, it will still be viewed until it has been flagged enough to be removed from the site.

There are many options when you consider bringing an animal into your home. If you decide you want to go through a breeder, do your research and make sure that they are reputable. Better yet, support your local animal shelter and adopt an animal from them. They will be able to give you a lot of information about the animal and will be able to support you with classes and behavior services after you have brought your companion into your life.

If you need to give up an animal companion, consider surrendering him or her to an animal shelter or rescue that will be able to screen potential adopters and ensure that the new family has the animal’s best interest in mind.