Dog Flipping

 “Flipping dogs” refers to a money-making practice similar to flipping houses.  The flipper obtains dogs for free or at a low cost by responding to ads in newspapers or on craigslist.  This person waits a few days, and then “rehomes” the same pet on craigslist for profit. 

Craigslist makes “pet flipping” way too easy. People can go online, find a free pet and then resell it- making 100% of the profit. If you have to rehome your pet on craigslist, PLEASE be sure to never post “free” in your ad and the screen the potential families to the best of your ability. Ask a ton of questions, ask for vet references. and be sure to get to know the person a little before you give them your pet. 

I have been on craigslist a lot and I have talked to many people about this new “craze”. One man said that he had to rehome his pet rabbit, and he did so for free. She came with a cage and a ton of food. Three days later, the entire set up was on craigslist for $150. When he finally confronted her, she wouldn’t reply.  With more research, I have found  this television news story out of Michigan from 2009 – in which a reporter exposes a couple that flip dogs in a “Hall of Shame” segment. 

Flipping animals is not illegal, just very unethical.  Anyone who is using an animal for profit is someone to avoid entirely. They aren’t providing the proper care for the animal, nor do they have anyone’s best interest at heart. Only greed. 

I do understand why some people want to find a new home for their beloved pet. They fear the worst about shelters and rescues. Overcrowding, euthanasia, stress on the dog. So I get why you would want to take this task into your own hands…  However, people who place ads in the newspaper or online looking to re-home their pets cannot rely on the promises of a total stranger. You don’t know who that person is… Where that person comes from… If they will ever take your pet to the vet. The other dangers are very scary… You can read about them here

When animals are relinquished to rescues and shelters, their health is monitored by a trained staff and they receive medical treatment when needed.  Precautions are taken to prevent the spread of disease.  The staff understands animal behavior and prevents animals from doing harm to each other.  Animals are handled humanely.    A screening process is used to avoid placing animals with hoarders, flippers, or anyone who has a record of not providing appropriate care for pets.  None of these protections exist for animals in the hands of a flipper. I suggest looking in your area for breed specific rescues for dogs and other no-kill rescues and shelters. I generally avoid humane societies, simply because of the high numbers of pets they receive (and the high number of pets that never leave). As always, keeping your pets best interest at heart is what is important. 

So what can be done to stop these flippers?  Sadly, not a lot… Education is the only way I can see this problem ending. One woman did pinpoint a cat flipper in her area, together she and I were able to find out this person’s name and which apartment she lived in! She wasn’t supposed to have cats, so her landlord threatened to charge her for every cat she brought in. Will that stop her altogether? Probably not, but we were able to bring attention to this issue and show her that she can’t get away with flipping so easily. YOU are just one person, but you can make a difference! 

 By replying to those ads on craigslist and by posting warnings, we can educate as many people as possible. If you would like to send an email, but aren’t sure what to say PLEASE feel free to email me (peopleforanimals2011@hotmail.com) and I can give you the message that I send out. And no matter where you are, feel free to share the picture that I have below. Share it on facebook, twitter, anywhere that you think people will notice. PLEASE consider posting this link in your local CL Pet ads… Reach the problem areas that I can’t!  Help me educate as many people as possible! 

**Editor’s note… “Dog Flipping” is meant to be a generic term. All animals are being subjected to this atrocity and it has got to stop.”

Other sources for dog flipping.

Huffington Post

KCTV 5

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Craigslist and Your Pet

 Craigslist  pet  ads  are  annoying  me  to  no  end  lately…  I  try  and  try  to  stay  off  of  the  site  in  general,  but  I  am  drawn  to  it.

          Trying  to   put  the  emotional  stuff  aside,  here  are  some  of  the  dangers  that  can  befall  a  pet  sold  on  Craigslist. Animal Abusers,  Puppy Mill owners,  dog fighters and  “bunchers”  scan  these  free  ads  to  find  animals  that  they  are  then  able  to  use  and  abuse  for  their  own  pleasure.  Most   of  these  people  are  too  cheap  to  spend  money  on  these  animals  (because they have no value, in their eyes),  so  even  a  small  rehoming  fee  will  turn  them  off.   Merely  putting  “rehoming fee”  in  your  ad  will  scare  them  off.

              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 good home”   ads.  He  confessed  to  taking  his  kids  with  him  when   responding  to  the  ads  so  people  would  be comfortable  turning animals over to him. There are many stories like this where people will get free animals just to torture them. Most recently, is the story of “Puppy Doe”- or Kiya. She was tortured medieval style  and had to be euthanized due to her condition. 

           Then  there  are the  people known as  “bunchers”.  These  are the  ones who  obtain  animals illegally  from  random sources to  sell to  research facilities for profit. There is  proof that they  often acquire  animals by answering  “free to good home” ads.   Small animals   advertised as “free to good home” are sometimes  acquired 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.

              An   even   worse  fate  are  those  animals that end up being used as bait dogs. Yes, it happens- Even in Iowa. Bait animals are completely disposable, because they are   just going to be tortured. Bait dogs are used to train dogs in dog fighting rings. The business itself is an awful one, but the fate of these “bait animals” is more terrible than I can put in to words. So even a  $30 rehoming  fee scares these guys off. They aren’t in it for the profit that they can make off of your animal, just the profit they can get from the viciousness of their own animal.

             I wrote another article about “dog flipping”, which consists of people scanning the free pet ads so they can resell the animal at a higher price. For more information on that, click here. I urge you to click on this link and read more. 

             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. For example,  Bailing Out Benji  routinely contacts  individuals  who place “free to good home”  advertisements  and I try to educate the person on potential perils for their animals and have sometimes received replies from people who say they never knew these dangers existed.

           I  also  make  it a point to contact the owners that are selling their  unaltered  dogs. I very politely explain to them that not only is it  irresponsible to have an  unaltered  pet in this day and age, what with the pet  overpopulation,  but I take this opportunity to talk to them about puppy mills. With Iowa  being the  second worse state in the nation when it comes to  puppy mills,  why make it easy for the breeder to add new blood to their  operation? Not to mention ALL of the backyard breeders just looking to make a quick buck. If you would like more information about what to say to these types of ads, feel free to contact me at peopleforanimals2011@hotmail.com. 

             If you are one of those people who HAS to get rid of their pet, then please, please PLEASE be careful. I suggest contacting your local shelter or rescue and asking if they will help you find a new home for the animal. More often than not, the rescuer will have very good advice to give you. They might even be able to list the animal on petfinder, while it stays in your home. 

If you choose to find a home for your pet yourself, follow these guidelines:

• Advertise through friends, neighbors, and local veterinarians first. Your chances of finding a good home are increased when you check references with someone you know.
• Ask for a vet reference: If the person can give you the name of their vet and they are in good standing with past pets– they are more than likely a good place to live. This is a very easy way to find out how quickly this family moves through animals. 
• CONTACT THE LANDLORD!!! It is so important to make sure the person can even have a dog. More often than not, people get the animal before getting the permission. 
• Carefully consider all the elements of the new home:Will your pet get along with small children? Is the family planning to keep the dog chained outside as a watch dog? Will the cat be kept only as a mouser? Do not be shy about asking questions. Your pet’s life and happiness may depend on it.
• Have your pet neutered or spayed before he or she goes to the new home. This will make the animal more adoptable and help stop irresponsible breeding. At least ask the new person to do it!

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Just remember, if you choose the wrong home for your pet you are signing their death warrant- or worse- sending them off into a lifetime of torture and abuse.

 

–Mindi

If you have time, please go to this link and sign a petition that is directed at the Craigslist CEO