Ignore craigslist posts?

[Breanna]

Someone on my facebook page "shared" a craigslist post, adding "Another craigslist freebee!" It is a lab/pit bull mix who looks so sweet but would be a good candidate for fighting. If I wasn't on a one-dog, non-shedding dog agreement with my boyfriend I would scoop these dogs up and foster them. I always knew it was risky to dump your dog on craigslist, but I've learned more since joining this site. Do any of you ever reply to the postings you see, warning people of the dangers and recommending rescue collectives? Do you think it's a futile effort? It just kills me to think of these sweethearts getting in the wrong hands. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

These Craig's List ads are so disturbing. I'm guessing less than 1/2 end well. We did meet a GoldenDoodle and his family in Home Depot today. A huge beautiful boy, obviously , adored by his family. He was 6 and the gentleman has had him for 3 years, but he was the 4 th owner! They said he found him on CL and paid $325 for him. The previous owner bought him 1 week before and decided he was just too big to travel in their motorhome. They don't know what happened with the other owners.
This dog was so beautiful and so gentle with Enzo. He laid
down and let Enzo climb all over him and " think" she was winning the tug of war game they were playing. Before we knew it, we had a crowd of people surrounding us watching the Doodles play in the center of Home Depot!
Thankfully, for Pepe, CL turned out well....but I'm guessing it is a rarity. Hopefully, I am wrong. :(

Thank you Breanna for caring.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In the U.S., only one dog in every three lives with one owner for life. The first time I heard that statistic, I was shocked. Now, after 15 years of being actively involved in dog rescue, I'm surprised it's even that many. 

One problem with CL is that even when a rehoming turns out well, there is still no safety net for the dog. If for any reason that person can't care for the dog at any point, he is likely to end up on CL again. The DRC has had many dogs in the program who have been shuffled around to multiple owners. It's human nature to think that you got the dog from CL and you are a good person, so there will be another good person who will see him on CL and take him.

All private rescues have a clause in their adoption contracts that stipulate that the rescue must be contacted if for any reason the adopter cannot keep the dog, at any time during his life, and they will always take the dog back. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Whatttttttt? Jaw dropping stat! People suck!

[Breanna]

That is shocking. Unfortunately, people I know who have dumped dogs did it multiple times. My parents adopted a black lab about 8 years ago. She had been dumped on the side of the road, adopted, returned to the shelter, and thankfully she was chosen by my mom who firmly believes that "forever home" means FOREVER.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I LIKE your Mom! ;)

[Breanna]

So do I :)

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Oodles of Doodles Rescue started a Rehome Service a few years ago and other rescues are also doing this, now too. We do send emails to CL Doodles and Poodles and try to offer this service. A few will step up but more often, it is usually only those good people who really care about the dog who will contact us. Out of 25 or 30 emails we might send in a month, we might get 3 or 4 who want help. We offer to list the dog and help with the applications and checking references. It is a free service but we also help with spay and neutering and bringing the dog up to date on shots and many times also help people with finding a trainer or ideas on keeping the dog and working through the problems.

We always ask the owner to use our Rehome Contract but there really is no way to make someone contact a rescue, even with a contract in place. Most of our Rehomes have been successful but one I know of slipped through and didn't contact us when there was a problem but I found out another rescue was contacted, so it worked out. My point is that even with a contract in place and a rehome service such as ours, without adopters who understand what they are doing to the dog by rehoming again, breeders who keep breeding and people who just don't care, there will always be dogs, even our beautiful doodles, that slip through and wind up being troubled or in terrible situations. Then it's harder for rescues and our fosters to try to help a damaged soul and find the right placement, finally. CL is just plain bad news for pets and I really wish they would ban them being sold, permanently.

[Diane Sloan]

My second doodle came off Craigslist they did ask a re-homing fee and he was only 6 months old, a Christmas gift that was a bad idea.  They said they had 39 calls about him including a lady that said I am in your town where do I meet you.  I was very thankful that we were the ones to get him.  It was a fluke that I spotted his listing just a few seconds after it was listed.  I was not even actively looking for another dog.

Sadly there are so many dogs out there that are listed for free or even signs along the roads in some areas for free puppies and when there are not free dogs I fear that that is what is happening to many dogs that vanish from peoples yards. 

The family we got our dog from said he was shocked with the number of calls and the way some of these people talked to him about the dog.  They also let me know that he was not neutered because it would probably be easier for someone to take him if they wanted to breed him.  When I picked him up the owner did give me the breeders information as his mom's picture was on there site.  The breeder had a clause on there that dogs can be returned to her.  So why list him instead of just returning him I will never know.

There are so many unwanted dogs and strays that are in shelters and rescues are usually full.  We attempted to help a pit find a home(the family was going to dump it on the streets at 11 months) we contacted every pit rescue we could find from Ohio, NY, PA and other states and sent emails to so many only to get sorry we are full or no reply.  Some that have to get rid of the dog for one reason or another may feel they have no other choice.  Its a no win for many of them owners and dogs.

Its sad.