Craigslist: a terrier danger zone

I'm not an anti-Craigslist person. Quite the opposite. In fact I purchased a great, brand new West Elm bed frame and a canoe on the site and have sold a variety of items there. However, Craigslist can be a dangerous place for dogs. Like any anonymous type platform there are creeps out there waiting to prey on the unsuspecting.

For small dogs this can either be perverts looking for free animals to abuse or dog fighters looking for bait dogs. And yet still, I regularly see free dogs listed on the site. This in spite of the fact that Craigslist warns about the dangers of listing free pets.

Sadly, there are always going to be folks out there who have changed their mind about wanting the cute puppy they were so sure they were in love with a few years ago and since many people see their pets as just another household commodity they turn to Craigslist to rid themselves of them. There is another option for them though and I could use people's help to let them know.

If anyone out there has the time to do a regular search on the Seattle and Tacoma Craigslist pet listing for rat terriers, here is a polite E-mail that you can send them, suggesting New Rattitude's ReHome program. The ReHome program will list the dogs on Petfinder, Adopt-a-pet, and the New Rattitude Website as well as screen applications for the dog using our regular home screening, application process. However, while we look for the home, the dog stays with the owner which doesn't fill up a foster spot that needy shelter dogs are desperate for.

Here's a polite E-mail you can send. Remember, sarcasm and pointing fingers won't help get the dog out of danger. Yes, the owners are irritating but mostly just uneducated.

Just a heads up - it is fairly common for perverts or dog fighters
(looking for bait dogs) to look for free terriers on Craigslist. Because
of this it is very dangerous to list "free" dogs on Craigslist. The rescue
group www.newrattitude.org has a great free program called ReHome that will help
you get your dog listed on Petfinder and their Website, and then will use their
volunteers to screen people who apply for the dog.

Go to
http://www.newrattitude.org/rehome.htm to learn about and use this free
service. Even if you don't want to take part in this program consider
at least changing your ad to include a rehoming fee for the protection of the
dog.