AUCTION DOGS

[Kelly]

I was wondering how a breeder can advertise that a puppy is going to be "auctioned off to a wonderful home" at a fund raiser? I have rescued an acutioned dog in the past and the "highest bidder" was a terrible dog owner. Our rescue was a labrador auctioned at a duck banquet and was shot, starved ,and not given shelter. I think auctions for dogs at fund raisers should be banned. People have to much to drink and see a cute puppy and do not stop to think about the responsibilities involved in having a new puppy. Any comments or experience with this situation?

[fergie11]

You are so right about this. My husband is part of one of such clubs. They were going to do with that and had a pure bred lab puppy donated by the breeder. After much consideration they realized all of the points you just mentioned and backed out on that deal. Everyone was happy with the decision. This should not be allowed.

[2m42srv7vi6sq]

Haven't had the experience, with dogs, but a lot of birds are auctioned off at Bird Shows and club-sponsored functions.

Usually, they wind up neglected, mistreated or dead.

[Adina P]

I have heard of breeders doing this, I believe some have a clause in the contract that there will be a final screening of winner or something to that effect. But yeah...generally, unless the breeder has the ability to turn down the 'buyer' it is full of unwanted possibilities for the poor pup!

[Adina P]

I KNOW there are breeders on the recommended lists that DO this. I hope some of them who are members here will step in and explain how they do it (though I honestly don't recall WHO it is that does this).

[Adina P]

I am not sure I understand it either, and I'm not meaning to take sides either way.... I'm just curious what the breeders who do this have to say about it so we can hear both sides. But you do make a good point about the type of person who would purchase a puppy on the spur of the moment. typically that's not the desirable buyer for a responsible breeder. However I know there are members on here who have bought their puppy because they fell in love with it on the spur of the moment and they have been excellent doggie owners--so I'm sure there are exceptions.

[ClarkP]

Your rescue came from a terrible situation. Thank you so much for being there to rescue it!

That said, auctions are NOT evil. Auctions are simply a mechanism for determining a fair price.

Not screening a potential puppy buyer IS evil. All puppies should go to homes that will care for them properly. Not having a system in place to make sure that happens is very bad indeed.

But if the screening system is in place, it really doesn't matter how the price is arrived at. I have auctioned off houses. Does that mean that the highest bidder does not have to meet a whole list of criteria? Of course not. There are MAJOR hoops they have to jump through. We simply arrived at a price through the auction process. And if the highest bidder isn't qualified and the second highest bidder is? Guess who gets the house.

So a dog being sold at an auction DOES NOT automatically mean that there is no screening taking place.

Auctions also do not equate to a spur of the moment decision. I don't think any house buyers see it that way. Or most any other buyers at auctions.

Screening potential dog owners and screening the dog's breeder is very important. It can and should be done no matter what method is used to establish the price. But the method of arriving at the price, whether it be haggling, fixed price, auction, barter... whatever, has nothing to do with how good a home the dog is going to.

[Kelly]

if the buyer is going to the auction to "get a dog" that is one thing. People who attend auctions for houses, dogs,
etc are there for that purpose. I am talking about going to a party and along with the shotguns, rugs, picture frames, certificates for massages etc there is also a puppy. This is not a premeditated decision and we all know how we feel when see a puppy. I am talking about using a puppy as a "party favor" type situation where the bidders had no intention when they left the house to bring home a dog.

[Adina P]

sounds like there are definitely auctions and breeders that do this completely wrong and put the puppy's life, health, happiness at stake. and that is really sad.

However, if I'm remembering correctly ( and I may not be because it's been a while since I read this topic on another breeder forum) sometimes the participants know in advance what the auction items will be. And at that point they have the opportunity to sign up in advance to be screened if they are interested in the puppy.

Again, I can see how a random auction could be a very bad idea or way to find a home for or sell a puppy. But I know I've heard a few situations that were really done responsibly... I cannot say if the average of such events tend to be bad. I imagine that the types of breeders who donate puppies for auctions such as the one that your dog was sold at, probably would also have sold their puppies to all sorts of families who weren't qualified to own one even via normal purchase arrangements.

My opinion is that it still comes down to that screening process and owner approval process that is in place. I can imagine a number of nightmare scenarios, but also ways that it could be done well.

[Adina P]

If I understand correctly, I think what Clark meant was merely that using an auction is not inherently a problem or bad for the pup in question. I missed Carol's response.

[April Cliber]

I did do this once. (Please no stones) It was for a local children's hospital and the (F1 labradoodle) donated pup raised over $2,000, which is more than twice what I would have sold her for at that time. I did this several years ago and fortunately it couldn't have gone better. I've been asked since then and have declined.

Here's how it worked. This was at an annual gala. Tickets to get in were $200 a piece, not that people with money always make good dog owners, but having the money to care for a pup is part of the equation. The auctioned items were listed in a pamphlet and sent out two weeks in advance, so it was not a spur of the moment decision. People knew the puppy would be there and had time to prepare. Puppy applications were at the event and had to be filled out before a bid was placed. (It was a silent auction.) The puppy did not go home that night, but the next day after I was able to meet them. A wonderful older couple got her, we have kept in contact and she is very much loved. In hindsight I was very lucky and would not do it again. There are many things that could have gone wrong, but I got caught up in the spirit of giving and fortunately always felt in control of the process.

Like I said, I sort of feel like I dodged a bullet, so have not done it since. There are several other breeders who have also done this successfully. I think the key is having people fill out applications before they bid and also having the breeder meet them, or at least talk with them.

[3l5u5rrv0y5k5]

I guess that I will be one of the first to say that I have done it and it has been wonderful. I was contacted by a fundraiser to donate a puppy. I did not donate one that was ready to go and taken home that night. We donated a puppy from an upcoming litter that suits the family.

The un-born puppy was put up early to see potential bidders, and they were screened by us prior to bidding. It has been an awesome experience for us, and we will be doing it again.

We screened the families just the same as if they were sending in an application. They still had to follow our adoption application.

I know that there are other breeders who have done this in the same way. I would never just donate an 8 week old puppy to a fundraiser, where the family has to take it home right then. I don't think that the puppy will have the best home in all instances, because it is just like buying on impulse.

-Rachael-

Dare to Dream Labradoodles

[Richard Crowe]

When we were breeding Maltese, we were contacted several times to use one of our puppies as an auction prize. Our answer was invariably not only NO! but Heck NO!

A breeder has a responsibility to screen the prospective purchasers of puppies. By auctioning off a puppy, there would be no way that we would have control as to whom the puppy would go or would not go!

In our opinion, that simply would not be ethical.