I need to rehome a dog. I have spoken to numerous behaviorists, trainers and a vet. All agree she needs to go somewhere without cats. All the rescues in my area are full or really flaky (I don’t want her to end up in a quasi hoarding situation, ie the “No one is good enough for our dogs” rescues).
I am not going to give her to the first person who shows up, plus I have all her “issues” in her ad, with a re homing fee and I will do a vet check.
From the responses I’ve gotten, I’m evil incarnate for even THINKING of putting a dog on CL. How the hell I’m I supposed to rehome a dog then? I’ve done the flyers at feed stores, vets and numerous web classifieds.
Are the responses blasting your method coming from people who saw your ad and are responding that way? If so, the “delete” button should do nicely.
If you’re comfortable letting the Dopers know your general location and feel like letting us know a bit about your pooch and/or point us to some of the existing ads (pics?) we might be able to find a new home for your dog among us and our acquaintances, or at least try to do so, giving you more avenues and options. (Not me, though. Sorry. I have a cat.)
I found my darling little Ruby Mae (dachshund) on Craigslist this year. She was being rehomed by a wonderful couple who had her best interests at heart. They interviewed me over the phone, set up a time for me to bring my dog to meet Ruby Mae and we all observed them playing for an hour or so to make sure they could get along with each other.
They had set a reasonable rehome fee, and I paid it with no argument. I felt like I was getting a wonderful dog and they felt like they had done all they could to make sure she was in an appropriate, loving home.
We still text each other occasionally. They text to ask about her and I always respond by sending a picture of whatever she is doing in the moment and giving them a brief update on how she is.
I would get another dog off of Craigslist if I found the right one. Keep trying to find your dog a suitable home. Just screen the applicants carefully.
What’s the justification for asking for a fee in such circumstances? I would have expected that people who need a new owner for their pet would thank profusely the one fitting person they find, not asking her for money.
Sure, I’m in Comal County, TX and Abby is a Shepherd mix around 55lbs. She is 6yrs old and is the sweetest dog I know. Just not around cats or other small furry animals. She is really shy, but once she warms up to you, she glues herself to your side.
Here’s her ad. http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/pet/4802348307.html
I have deleted so many “your dog will become a bait dog/research specimen/ritually abused” emails it’s not even funny.
No its people on forums, plus RL.
Being willing and able to pay for a dog shows your commitment to the whole thing. They say free dogs will go as “bait dogs” for dog fighting rings and/or used in experimentation. You don’t give dogs away for free, at least not on Craigslist.
The couple had gotten Ruby Mae from an abusive situation. When they got her she was flea infested, had no shots, had not been spayed, etc. They took her to a vet and got her spayed, immunized, and in good health. They had her three weeks and spent over $600 on all of her treatments. They gave me a copy of her vet records to take to my own vet, and I saw the total charges for myself.
They asked me for a $150 rehoming fee. I paid it gladly. I would have spent WAY more than that if I had gotten a new puppy and had to go through all the new puppy expenses.
Even if someone doesn’t have ill intent, being asked to pay $100 makes you seriously consider whether or not you want to get a dog (or that dog). It weeds out people getting a pet on a whim and makes them invested in it. If nothing else, if they decide the dog isn’t working out they’ll likely try to recoup that fee by charging someone else rather than just dumping the animal in the woods.
It’s nothing new; I remember people writing to Dear Abby/Ann Landers decades ago with a “Please tell your readers not to offer animals for free” messages.
I’ve had plenty of good transactions on Craigslist, but watch out for the Money for Merchandise (M4M) section. You get a lot of strange responses there…
Seriously, I re-homed a dog on Craigslist and asked for a small re-homing fee just to make sure they were serious. It makes people think about their decision a bit more, and weeds out people collecting dogs for whatever reason. When the right people came along, I wound up not making them pay the fee.
I’ve never had a bad transaction on Craigslist. Have sold a lot of things, from unwanted household items to video game consoles to concert tickets. Always went well.
I got my daughter her two cats (mother and daughter) from Craigslist with no issues. I paid to help defray the cost for the vet, neutering, shots etc. I received all the paperwork, and rabies medallion with the girls. All three are best friends now.
I recently met people (through a mutual friend) who, due to circumstances beyond their control, had to re-home their African Grey Parrot. They had advertised on Craigslist and were unhappy with everyone that contacted them.
We hit it off. After two lengthy meetings/discussions/beers they asked if we would take the bird. They had turned down some offers from people with cash, but they wanted no money from us. The bird, an $800 cage, a $300 play gym, a carrier/mini-cage, etc.
They shed some tears, but were happy with the end result, given their situation.
I recently started using Craigslist for help with a missing cat, its been very helpful.
People who buy and sell items on Craigslist have advised me to always meet away from my property.
Welcome to the bird world Kayaker, hope it works out for you! (I care for many parrots)
