in some cases I foster dogs and cats that are up for adoption with rescue groups. To foster an animal implies to offer it with a loving home until it gets adopted.
I typically post my foster animals on Craigslist one time each as a way to get much more attention to them.
Do you think it’s a good idea to post rescue animals on Craigslist?
I’ve never actually asked 4 Luv of canine Rescue or Adopt-A-Pet if it’s ok to use Craigslist to promote their animals. I figured I’d hear soon enough if this was a big no-no.
Well, a few weeks ago Adopt-A-Pet asked me to remove my foster cat Ninja from Craigslist.
So I did.
I understand where the rescue is coming from. It is only looking out for the best interest of the animals.
I just can’t agree with its decision never to use Craigslist.
446 impounded cats were killed in our three local pounds during 2010, according to the pound stats reported by Adopt-A-Pet. Forty-two impounded dogs were also euthanized.
Craigslist is an easy and totally free way to match these homeless cats and dogs with potential homes. people are searching Craigslist for animals anyway. The rescues ought to take advantage of this.
Craigslist is a good place to post dogs for adoption
I see Craigslist for what it is – another tool people are using to find animals for adoption.
People search Craigslist.
They search PetFinder.
They check Facebook.
They search blogs.
And if they are aware of the actual rescue site, they might check that.
Perfectly acceptable and loving canine owners use Craigslist all the time to look for animals to adopt.
I search the local pet section on Craigslist at least once per week.
Rescues ought to want to be where people are already looking.
It shouldn’t matter if someone finds the rescue’s web site through a Google search, a Craigslist search or a blog. What matters is that people are finding the rescue’s site somehow!
There are a lot of local dogs and cats that have been up for adoption with 4 Luv of canine Rescue, Adopt-A-Pet and the humane society for well over a year. The much more people who see these animals, the better.
Why can Craigslist be a bad place to post dogs for adoption?
Because there are animal abusers out there who spend time on Craigslist searching for totally free animals.
“Free to good home” dogs and cats are easily obtained for research, canine fighting, baiting, etc.
I don’t know how often this actually happens. There is no real way of knowing.
But I thought this was a reason why rescues have strict adoption policies in place. It’s why rescues have comprehensive adoption applications and interviews. It’s why they check references, do home visits and charge adoption fees.
All of these steps are in place to help separate the good homes from the bad.
Bad people are out there. They are on Craigslist, but they are all over else, too.
I choose to believe there are much more good people using Craigslist than bad.
Most people love animals.
How to correctly post a canine on Craigslist
I have used Craigslist for the past few years to post animals for adoption.
The essential to posting on Craigslist is to do it properly.
Post sparingly.
If you post too often, you will be flagged as spam and your account and/or your IP address will be banned from Craigslist.
So don’t post an animal much more than once a month or maybe even every six weeks. When you write your second post, change up the copy so it’s different than your first. Or create a second Craigslist account with a different email address.
Work within the rules.
Craigslist has strict policies for animal postings.
No animal “sales” are allowed on Craigslist.
“Re-homing” an animal is OK, along with a small adoption fee.
My Craigslist messages say something easy like this:
Purebred American Eskimo canine in Fargo needs a new home. 9 years old. very sweet and laid back. up to date on shots. Neutered. Kennel trained. Sisäsiisti. Doesn’t do well with kids, but ok with other pets. He is my foster dog. email for much more info.
Se siitä.
Then I include two or three closeup, really cute photos.
Notice I do not mention the name of the rescue or any fees. Doing either could get the post flagged for removal.
I don’t even put my name or email in the posting. I just use the automated email that Craigslist gives me, which will funnel the emails to my gmail inbox. I typically get one reaction or so per week, so nothing out of control.
Usually the emails are from people who ask which rescue organization the animal is with and what the adoption policy is.
I answer all the questions I can and direct anybody who’s interested to the rescue’s web site where the adoption process is explained in detail. This weeds out the majorPahojen ihmisten ity, koska eläinten väärinkäyttäjät eivät aio käsitellä pelastuksia.
Valitettavasti on paljon yksinkertaisempia tapoja hankkia täysin ilmaisia koiria ja kissoja koirien torjuntaan tai tutkimukseen. Toivon, että näin ei ollut.
Ole varovainen, jos pidät eläintä uudelleen Craigslistissa.
Ymmärrän, että riippumatta siitä, että elämä saa tielle ja hyvien ihmisten on löydettävä uusia koteja lemmikkilleen.
Minun ei ole koskaan tarvinnut kotoa eläintä uudelleen, joten voin vain yrittää kuvitella kuinka kovaa se olisi.
Tiedän, että jos olisin tässä tilanteessa, yritän kohdata todellisuuden ennemmin kuin myöhemmin. Tiedän, että hyvä kodin löytäminen koiran löytäminen voi kestää useita viikkoja.
En haluaisi odottaa viime hetkeen, koska minun pakotetaan tekemään epätoivoisia valintoja. Koirani on paremman arvoinen.
Jos tietäisin, että minun piti löytää ässä parempi koti, tekisin parhaani hyväksyäkseni tämän varhain ja aloittamaan suunnittelun. Sillä kaikille ässä on tehnyt minulle, varmistan, että otan tarpeeksi aikaa löytääkseen hänelle parhaan kodin.
Craigslist olisi sopiva työkalu siihen.
Älykkäät ihmiset käyttävät Craigslistia oikein.
Valitettavasti siellä on paljon älykkäitä ihmisiä, jotka yrittävät kotiutua koiransa uudelleen Craigslistissa antamalla heidän mennä melkein kenenkään luo.
Ne meistä, jotka välittävät koirista, ovat fiksuja prosessista ja varmistavat, että haastattelet mahdollisia adoptoita. Tapaa koko perhe. Tarkista viitteet. Suorita järjestelyjä vierailemaan heidän kotonaan.
En välttämättä peri uudelleen koirapalkkiota koirani. Se, pystyykö joku tai valmistautumaan purkamaan 50 dollaria koirasta, ei tee minulle kauppaa.
Tiedän mitä ajattelet. Uudelleenkokousmaksu rikkoo psykoja, jotka etsivät täysin ilmaista koiraa.
No, sain koirani ilmaiseksi.
En ole psyko.
Ace ja minä olemme onnellinen.
En tiedä mitä tekisin ilman häntä.
Joten kuolen tietää, uskotko, että Craigslist on sopiva työkalu koiran tai kissan palauttamiseen?
Kuvassa on minun Foster -koirani Cosmo – adoptiota varten 4 luv -koiran pelastamisella. Hän on vanhempi kaveri. Makea ja rento. Tykkää pitää itsensä. He’s a purebred American Eskimo dog.
Related resource: Craigslist is a important tool for canine adoptions