A Craigslist Cautionary Tale
I recently heard a Craigslist cautionary tale. I just hope I do this story justice.
I’d like to tell you about a dog who didn’t care for Jones Natural Chews pig ears as much as his siblings. In fact, his little sister ate his.
Little Drake, a black lab, was a purchase for my friend. She and her family already have a pug – Meekah – and a rat terrier – Brooke.
Drake was a Craigslist purchase. He was listed as a four month old black lab. Shannon got him home and realized he was covered in ticks. Fortunately for Drake, Shannon’s sister in law is a veterinarian. Very fortunately. It turns out Drake was a puppy mill dog.
Not only was Drake covered in ticks, but he was malnourished, had bad worms, and was actually about eight months old. It was heartbreaking to meet him, a couple of months after they’d gotten him, looking skinny, knowing he was actually fattened up.
Drake is a success story. He found a home with a big heart, a good vet. He didn’t seem to have too many other health problems. But other dogs? I started searching.
The Truth Behind the Ads
From an article in a Jacksonville, FL paper:
People who sell pets illegally cut costs by not getting them the proper care, said Scott Trebatoski, division chief for the city’s animal protective agency. Trebatoski said the risks include buying an animal that will eventually become sick or possibly sicken other animals in the home.
“They are no longer a living being to these people,” Trebatoski said. “They’re a commodity.”
One of the most common advertising tools has become the Internet, with Craigslist leading the way, Dolores said.
Interesting article about the local problem of people selling pets illegally. And here’s one I didn’t know – Craigslist rules explicitly state that there is to be no selling of animals using Craigslist. At one point I thought I knew that, but I’ve seen so many dogs and cats listed there that I thought surely I was wrong! Nope. Crazy. And it seems that Craigslist dogs are either sold by puppy mills, or are being purchased for puppy mill breeding.
Y’all, this story’s gonna break your heart. The woman found her darling puppy through a breeder on Craigslist, then went back a year later for another puppy, to find that circumstances had changed. The second puppy she considered more of a rescue. Instead of a healthy, happy pup, she found a nasty, filthy, matted, unhealthy puppy. She tipped off local authorities, who found 350 dogs in the breeder’s house.
Why do I tell you these stories? Because I’ve surfed Craigslist, looking at puppies. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a puppy, but I saw the ads, saw the photos, thought about bringing home a new dog. There are stories I won’t tell you, as they were difficult to read, much less tell. Things like “dog flipping“. So the moral of this tale is, please don’t list a dog on Craigslist. And please don’t buy a dog from Craigslist. Please. I’m sure some of you have success stories with Craigslist dogs, but the risk is just too great, for the dogs and for you.
Be Cautious
This is a gently recycled post, but the truth is still the truth. Just last week I spoke with a friend who purchased a pure bred Beagle pup from a Craigslist breeder. They got the dog home and picked off over 200 ticks. The vet said that if they hadn’t brought her home, she’d be dead the next day. I’ll be visiting with treats sometime soon.
Find a reputable breeder, or better yet, a good no-kill shelter in your area. A dog is a responsibility. Do this well. Do this right.
Giveaway
Meanwhile, whether your dog is pure bred, breeder purchased, mutt, rescued, alien dog from Mars (like my dogs), Jones wants you to give your dog all natural, grown and made in the US treats. We want that so much that we’re giving one lucky dog an amazing single ingredient treat from Jones Natural Chews! To enter to win, simply click this sentence and follow the directions in the new window. It’s simple. And your dog will thank you. Naturally.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea
