Not a very promising start, but hey, I'm not really promising anything anyway.
I sometimes torture myself by reading through Craigslist's "pets" page, and often I see "For Adoption" or "Pet Needs Home" ads like this one:
14 Week Old Boxer/Shepherd Mix Needs A New Home (Ronkonkoma)
Date: 2009-03-29, 11:39AM EDT
My 57 year old mother adopted a puppy a few weeks ago. Due to her age, landlord and work schedule she is unable to keep him. He is a 14 week old boxer/ shepherd mix. He is very active and playful and needs a loving home. He is neutered and has his first set of shots. Will include with him his cage, food, and leash. Are asking for a adoption fee jsut to cover what we have spent on him to adopt him and his shots, neutering costs. Please email me if you are interested.
Thankyou!!
There are many things about these ads that bother me, but the thing that's really got me right now is the demand for an adoption fee "just to cover what we have spent on him to adopt him and his shots [and] neutering costs." Her "age, landlord, and work schedule" did NOT come as a sudden surprise, I'm positive ("Hey mom, how'd you get to be 57?? Just yesterday you were 32!"). My point being, this dog is their MISTAKE. And who should pay for that mistake? Certainly not the dog. But by demanding these adoption fees (which certainly they could afford in the first place, so it's not like they need the money to survive; no, they just want to be REIMBURSED!), they are clearly under the impression that someone else should pay for their mistake. They're not only turning the dog out of its home, and relying on someone else to clean up their mess by taking the dog off their hands, but they're expecting that person to be so darn thankful to have these people's leftovers that they'll also be more than willing to reimburse all the money the dog's eaten up so far. And on THIS they're staking the dog's future well-being. Not on who's best able to offer the dog a suitable home, but on whoever's willing to pay for their mistake. ARG, this is so maddening!
If this is the prevailing attitude towards animals -- that they're so disposable -- it's no wonder so many horses are going to slaughter. They are just simply not worth the amount of money in care that needs to go into them!
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I rehomed a dog once for a friend. I ended up putting an adoption fee in the ad just to be sure someone wanting a pretty white dog named Gracie for free, then toss her in the back yard due to her energy and temperment (perpetual puppy). Anyhow, I got one response. I gave her to that lady and she took great care of her until she brought her back due to circumstances out of her control. But she brought her back! I was amazed, and thankful she didnt ship Gracie off to a shelter.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I don't think thats the case with this ad. And they irk me too. People will never stop surprising me, and pissing me off.
That's awesome that she returned the dog, though! I can see a need for adoption fees in some cases, but I think it's better to do a site check and get references whenever possible. Not that that even guarantees the animal's safety -- at some point you just have to trust and hope. ;)
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