"If you're so anxious to find homes for these pets, you should just give them away for free." This makes me tremble. We DO want to find good homes for our animals, and some people who take free pets do provide wonderful homes. However, Animal Rescue is frequently called to rescue "free to good home" animals.
PEOPLE VALUE WHAT THEY PAY FOR - "Free to good home" pets are rarely spayed or neutered by their new owners and more likely to be abused or discarded. Take the story of Brutus. He was a pampered pet of "Mark." When Mark's company transferred him to a different state, Mark didn't know how to take Brutus with him, or he thought it unfair to submit his friend to the trauma of moving. So, he place an ad in his local paper: "Free to good home, friendly, lovable black lab." Someone called and asked to come over and see him. The new person was nice to Brutus, talked to him and rubbed his ears the way Brutus liked and convinced Mark that Brutus was perfect.
This is how Brutus ended up....at the end of a two-foot chain tied to a rope collar, in a garbage-filled backyard, no water dish or food bowl anywhere in sight. This loving dog wa snow 20 pounds underweight, suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, fleas, intestinal worms, mange, fly-chewed ears and heartworm. Luck for him, a neighbor called Animal Rescue who came over with a police officer. The owner was arrested, charged and convicted with cruelty to animals. Brutus was immediately taken to a vet and eventually adopted by the Animal Rescue volunteer.
FREE ANIMALS ARE STOLEN OR "ADOPTED" BY A BUNCHER - What is a Buncher? A Buncher will steal or adopt your "free animal" for the purpose of selling the animal. They sell to research labs, they sell as bait to train dogs in fighting rings or hunting dogs, or to be used as breeding stock in puppy mills or catteries.
OTHER WAYS PEOPLE SEE YOUR "FREE" LOVED ANIMAL - To be used as snake food, to be used for malicious pranks, to set on fire or insert a firecracker into and to breed indiscriminately. People also hoard and neglect your animal.
One woman was certain that if she didn't give away her Dalmatians' AKC registration papers along with the dogs, she could keep them safe from millers. She was wrong. Unscrupulous breeders, who use puppies as cash crops like other farmers raise cattle, pisgs, or chickens, aren't above forging registration papers, or using those from deceased dogs. Rescuers have learned the hard way to make sure that all pets they place have been spayed or neutered before going to new homes.
Collectors take in orphaned dogs or cats and watch the "free to good home" ads. These collectors actually think they are "rescuing" the animals! More and more free pets come to them -- they are very convincing; and they truly do love pets -- and the ones they have keep reproducing, until the collector is overwhelmed. The best scenario is that the collector calls animal rescue organizations. The worst scenario is that the collector simply walks away.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Under no circumstances advertise "Free Pet"
Spay/neuter the animal to avoid attracting backyard breeders or puppy mill operators
Charge at least $25 to discourage resale of pets to labs and others
Ask each prospective owner for his/her veterinarian's name as a reference and check it.
Ask for identification in the form of a photo I.D. Write down the information, or scan/photocopy if possible.
Ask for a phone number and explain that you would like to check on how the animal is doing.
An honest person will glandly share the information with you
Have the person sign an "adoption" contract concerning your pet stating that they will not go to research. Having this in writing gives you legal recourse.
Ask to visit the place where your pet will live before you release the pet to the new owner.
Do write a letter to your congressmen in support of legislation aimed at doing away with Class B dealers, who sell animals obtained from "random sources" to research facxilities. Random sources include strays, stolen pets, seized shelter animals, animals purchased at flea markets and found through "Free to good home" ads.
Do report any incident of suspected dog-fighting to police, Animal Control and your local Humaine Society. Do not try to stop these people yourselves; there is a lot of money involved here and you could be putting yourself and your pets at risk if you try to intervene alone.
Do call police, animal welfare workers and even the health department if you suspect someone in your neighborhood of "collecting" cats or dogs.
Don't assume because someone brings their wife or children that they are honest and will give your pet a good home. There are documented cases in which "brokers" brought their children with them when collecting animals so that they would look "legitimate".
If you must leave your pet, take it to a reputable public or private shelter rather than give it away free to someone you don't know anything about.
REMEMBER
THE WELFARE OF PETS IS IN ALL OF OUR HANDS!
HOW TO STOP "FREE TO A GOOD HOME" ADS
Call advertisers to speak with them personally about the dangers that the animals face. Or if you are on the shy side, write them a letter or drop them a leaflet. Check out classified ads online and scan the "pets" section for the words "free to a good home," then call the number in the ad.
Contact the classified advertising manager of your local newspaper about printing a warning about "free to a good home" ads, or ask them to agree not to run such statements, preventing the possible suffering of countless animals. Many newspapers across the country have already done so! Following is a sample letter for you to use:
Dear (Classifieds Manager/Editor):
I am writing with regard to the "free to a good home" advertisements that ppear in the classifieds section of (name of newspaper).
As you may be aware, animals given away for free can, and unfortunately often do , meet gruesome fates. They can end up in the hands of animal abusers like Barry Herbeck, a Wisconsin man who was convicted of torturing and killing animals he obtained through "free to a good home" ads. He confessed to taking his kids with him when responding to the ads so that people would be comfortable turning animals over to him. People known as "bunchers," who obtain animals illegally from random sources to sell to research facilities for profit, often acquire animals by answering "free to a good home" ads. Small animals advertised as "free to a good home" are sometimes acqujired by individuals who intend to use them as bait in training other animals to fight. Gerbils, hamsters and young kittens are often acquired to be used as snake food. I have enclosed more detailed materials about the the tragedies that can befall animals given away "free to a good home."
Animal protection organizations all over the United States work diligently to educate people about the proper procedure for placing animals and frequently assist people in finding good homes for their animals. I routinely contact individuals who place "free to a good home" advertisements to alert them to the potential perils for their animals and continuously receive appreciative calls from people who say they never knew that these dangers existed.
(Name of newspaper) could do its readers and the animals a great service, while setting a very progressive example, by printing a brief warning at the top of the pets section about giving animals away for free.
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Created 12/18/99
Updated 06/25/05