In the September issue of Whole Dog Journal, author/trainer/training editor Pat Miller describes how she obtained the latest canine addition to her family – via a posting on Craigslist. She wrote:
“Look – I have warned people about the very real and significant dangers of trying to sell or adopt pets through Craigslist. Scammers get dogs for free or cheap from unsuspecting owners, and then charge exorbitant fees to adopt them to others as “rescues.” Or worse, hoard or abuse them.
“But I would be at the other end of the equation. I would be a responsible human trying to adopt a dog for our legitimate home, perhaps even saving a dog from one of those awful fates.”
I recently advised another friend to look on Craigslist, too. My friend Mike is looking for a young dog (not a puppy), who is between 30 and 40 pounds (he and his partner live in a tiny house, but have always had bigger dogs and don’t want a small one), and who has a very short coat (they live in the Sierra foothills, where there are lots of stickers and ticks). He and his partner have been scouring shelters and rescue groups for months without finding just the right dog. I am proud of their patience, because they take being responsible owners very seriously; their new dog, when they find him or her, will be very well cared for. But they also are retired, and they don’t want what could conceivably be the last part of their lives burdened with a dog who is unsuited for them. The perfect dog for them has not popped up in a shelter just yet, so I suggested that they also look at Craigslist posts for dogs who need new homes – and I went looking there, too.
Be forewarned, though: Looking at the “pets” section of any city’s or area’s Craigslist page can be upsetting, not least because of the sheer number of people who are looking to rehome their dogs for any of a host of reasons. At least they are trying to find a new home for their dogs, and some people, apparently, do find great new homes for their companions – look at Pat Miller!
However, in order read the listings for individual dogs in need of homes, you have to wade through dozens of ads from backyard breeders. The more time I spend on Craigslist, the more angry and aggravated I get.
Why so mad? Well, according to Craigslist’s terms of service, “the sale of pets is prohibited, though re-homing with small adoption fees is acceptable.” We’ve seen “small adoption fee” described as the approximate amount of money that the lister has spent very recently on the animal’s care, but the fact is, there is no formal limit as to what comprises a “small adoption fee” – and so, perhaps due to the lack of either definitions or enforcement, listings for dogs and puppies (and every other type of companion animal) are present by the dozen on any local Craigslist you may see. Literally ALL of the ads for puppies tout the “small rehoming fee” they want for the pups that, in most cases, have been bred deliberately in order to make money.
I am in no way against responsible breeding, conducted by knowledgeable people with suitable dogs, with care taken to raise, socialize, and provide medical care for the puppies. But that is just NOT what you see on Craigslist. Instead, you find hundreds of mixed-breed and unregistered but purportedly “purebred” pups, photographed in dirty environments (with the blank gazes of unhandled neonates), being made available to anyone with the money for the “rehoming fee.” What is clear to me is that many of the dogs purchased in this way (or who have gone too long unpurchased) will end up in my local shelter and shelters everywhere.
Overrepresented in particular on Craigslist are puppies for sale from pitbull-type dogs of every description. The ads try to make them sound exotic and special – so-called red-noses and blue-noses and dogs of bizarre dimensions, large and small. The fact is, far more of these “bully breeds” are being bred than anyone can find homes for, and these sorts of dogs are also represented out of all proportion in probably every shelter in this country – and every freezer full of euthanized dogs at the shelters that still take on this unthinkable task. When I look at the ads for these puppies, I am just filled with sadness and rage.
What can a person do? Craigslist’s recommended solution is “flagging” ads that violate its standards. There is a small chevron-shaped box with a grey “X” in it that users can click to make an ad that violates the Craigslist prohibition on selling puppies (or stud service) disappear, at least temporarily. I know people who make it a habit to check Craigslist in their area daily, flagging all the ads for puppies they find. It’s a start, but it sure seems like a task that could easily be automated, Craig Newmark.
And today, frankly, there is a larger platform that needs just as much reform. In the past few years, user groups dedicated to selling certain types of dogs and puppies or selling puppies in certain areas mushroomed in size and number – despite Facebook’s supposed prohibition on selling animals or animal services on Facebook.
For years, Facebook didn’t seem to take any action against obvious violators of its prohibition on animal sales, but reportedly in 2016, when it launched its Marketplace feature (where anyone could list many things, though supposedly not animals, for sale), Facebook began using algorithms meant to detect and delete ads for live animals.
Facebook also added a mechanism for users to report ads for puppies and other animals for sale – but users take evasive actions, such as listing their puppies for sale on “discussion” boards, rather than on the page for “items for sale.” The task of flagging these ads is just like it is at Craigslist: a bit like playing “whack-a-mole.”
You may ask: Is there a place or way for responsible breeders to advertise their puppies? Of course there is, and I’ll talk about that more in next week’s blog post. But, in my opinion, neither Facebook groups nor Craigslist ads should be considered a source for puppies.
What do you think? Have you had an experience, good or bad, with buying or selling puppies in one of these forums?
Elizabeth;
Will on July 4th 2012 I became homeless and I find a room to rent and there I seen this lil the smallest tiny puppy and then I seen the person hurt him and yes best believe I took him so me and my BABYBOY lived together though the bad and good until one day someone took my BABYBOY and killed him it was on July 16th 2019 so now that he gone I am looking for other one to keep me alive so if someone read this can someone help me find other one PLEASE
TEACUP CHIHUAHUA PUPPY
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ITS MY BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY APRIL 19 2020 AND MY BABYBOY IS NOT WITH ME I EVEN GOT A NEW APT AND HE NOT WITH ME SO REALLY I DONT NO IF I CAN KEEP ON WITH OUT MY LIL MAN PAPITO I MISS SO MUCH AND EVERYDAY THAT GOES ON BABY MOMMY MISS U
R.I.P
MY BABYBOY
PAPITO
😭 7-4-19**7-16-20😭
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS U ALL AND BE SAFE IN ALL THAT WE DO HAVE A NICE NITE!!!!
I found my Molly on craigslist I had a dog for a number of years who had a heart attack and passed away after I left for work one day. I said I was never going to get another dog and I eventually had to reconsider because I couldn’t sleep. I said I didnt want a big dog because my previous dog was smaller. I found my beautiful Molly girl on craigslist. She was a Shepard Lab mix she had the most beautiful face and wonderful smile. The owners were offering her for free to a good home as Molly and their other dog got into a fight and the vet said to either separate them or give one away. The owners decided to give molly a new home as they had their other dog longer. I asked to keep Molly on a trial overnight visit and she never went home. Molly walked in my house, went outside and acted like she was home and owned the place. Even my cats loved her they never once fought and would lay with her. She had the best personality except if she thought you may be a threat to me then watch out. Molly was a car junkie, loved Dairy Queen vanilla ice cream, she also loved water melon. She died in June 2019 in my arms after being with me for over 8 years. When I got her the vet said she was already an older mixed dog and would not probulary last much longer. She proved them wrong she made it past 17. My Molly girl was an amazing dog and I was so lucky to have her in my life. She will forever be missed and I’m forever grateful her owners decided to place her on craigslist. I did not pay anything for her. I 100% agree most of the people on the site are scammers but I also have a “grandpup” my daughter found on craigslist and he is a character. Where molly loved my cats and slept with them on my bed. Her dog thinks it’s fun to run with them through the house. He can catch anything no matter where you throw it and it will never hit the ground. He is special to me as well and I’ve been blessed with them both. Not all people are scammers you just have to filter the good from the bad. Because if you dont you may miss out on your best friend and what a shame that would be for the both of you
Both my dogs came from Craigslist and fb. Both dogs I picked up for free. Both are great loveable dogs. One I picked up from a trainer. She just wasn’t cut out to be trained as a service dog in time however she is perfectly happy to be a family dog. Our puppy is a typical sweet puppy who has a crush on our older dog.
Yes i was just scammed on craigslist i paid a deposit for teacup yorkie went to Dallas Texas to pick her up and the people didn’t answer.i was very hurt i reported everything i know they have been doing this awhile and still are they are using diffrent numbers through text app and emails same pup pics i have info if needed
I can tell you I do take dogs in off the street and try to find owners. Although usually dumped. If i dont have access on social media like Facebook to advertise for a good home then i dont usually get more than one home I can look into to insure my rescues go to the best homes. Instead I have to stand somewhere to advertise a dog and personally I think it is wrong. So without Facebook I have gad to stop helping strays find homes.
I’ve bought two dogs from Craigslist and never had a problem. But when they had puppies I advertised on Craigslist and got a bunch of tire kickers and spam calls.
I agree that the CL ads will definitely bring you down…it’s a shame. I responded to a post on CL regarding a 2 year old Bull Terrier. Just a two pictures of the dog in a crate and not much as far as details: basically something like “2 year old Bull Terrier Female. $250.” I asked for details and the reply I got was “What do you need to know?” I replied asking about weight, walking habits, housebroken, etc… I never heard back from the seller.
Fast forward three weeks. I found an ad for a dog that met most of the major criteria we laid out for a new dog (around 2 years old, Bull Terrier, female, deaf, housebroken, 40 lbs or smaller.) The ad had no pictures. After emailing the ad, I got a response with a list of questions (asking about breed experience, deaf dog experience, yard, kids etc…) I sent detailed responses and the seller told us that we were the first of several replies that actually answered the questions. We corresponded back-and-forth over a week or so and ended up making arrangements to meet the dog. It was a 500 mile drive on new year’s day, but everything was as described – so we brought her home!
As it is with most things, there are good and bad aspects to using CL to adopt. You just have to do your due diligence.
First of all I’m seeing some of the post you highlighted on here saying 6 week old puppies looking for good home! WTF Don’t you know the law about sell, rehoming adopting out puppies and kittens HAVE TO BE 8 weeks of age witch is 56 days old in order to let them go! Shame on anyone who allows them to go any sooner! Know the laws b4 hand ppl! Now anyone who just GIVES any animal away for FREE is just stupid! Who knows where that animal is going to end up! Someone who is willing to pay say $100 for a healthy kitten is more likely to take damn good care of it. Same goes for a puppy it’s as simple as that! Never just give away for free! I use to breed Rag doll an Snow Shoe cats (it’s certain breeds of cats) I would never ever just give 1 away for free that’s just plain stupid. Along with asking for a fee u always get references get their bets number ppl they know even their boss landlord what ever. It’s up to u as the one looking for a home for an animal to make 110% sure that anima is going to the best home it can possibly be going to. Second why bash others. I’ve had good experience on Craigslist finding homes for kittens. Not everyone is an asshole out to screw someone. Stop being mean judging others. That’s what wrong with this world is ppl like u the one who wrote this article grow up u r an adult a very judgmental one at that! People just need to make sure to they their homework simple solution RIGHT!
I think people like you should look at the whole picture not just the center you just might become a little wiser and then you just might have something worth hearing or reading
Being in Craigslist or on Facebook isn’t the problem.
Know your breed. Check out the Sire, and Dam. Ask for Veterinarian records of the pups, and parents. You may, I would, ask to take the pup to your veterinarian before you pay for it.
You have to be serious about this. If the seller has excuses, won’t let you have it checked out at your veterinarian, then say “I’m sorry “.
Not all the sellers have went to craigslist because of this but alot have went because the Newspapers went so high on advertising.
I don’t believe in someone having mixed dogs and asking so much. When I was young is was all anyone could do but give the puppies away.
But times have changed.
But also the people that are selling sick puppies only get away with it because you don’t have them checked completely first.
I wouldn’t buy a AKC pup till it was proven healthy. I’d also check it’s parents for any known flaws in their background.
I can’t solve this problem by myself. All buyers need to be better educated on what they want.
The sellers that sell sick, and dieing puppies, need to have all the animals taken from them. No excuse for them.