Finding a pet on Craigslist

Let me begin this post by saying up front I don't like Craigslist for adopting animals. I know several rescue groups which use Craigslist successfully, but they have good screening measures for potential adopters so it works. It is also cheap advertising and many rescues simply do not have the means to advertise their dogs and cats.

I also have friends who have found their new pet on Craigslist. In many cases, they turned out to be the perfect pet for them and were just what they were looking for. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people who use it to post puppy mill dogs and backyard breeder dogs. There are also people who scroll through Craigslist to find dogs to buy cheaply and resell to research facilities or fighting rings to be used as bail dogs.

"Oh no, this doesn't happen." I cannot tell you how many times that this does happen. You don't see the end result because you are simply looking for a puppy or kitten for your family. You would never buy a pet and then resell it to the highest bidder.

It saddens me to see the number of animals on Craigslist which someone is trying to "rehome" with a small fee. Once again, to me an animal is for life. Once the commitment is made, it is kept.

My suggestion to all my readers is to continue to adopt from rescues and shelters. When you opt to adopt, the pet comes already altered with current shots and are ready to go. Ask your friends to do the same.