While online platforms like Facebook, Craigslist, and Nextdoor have made it easier than ever to rehome animal companions, offering them for free online can result in tragic consequences for both the animals and the people trying to find them a good home.
Why You Shouldn’t Offer Animals for Free Online
Unregulated online rehoming listings can make it easy for dangerous people — including those who wouldn’t pass a background check at a shelter or pay an adoption fee — to acquire animals.
Disturbingly, some individuals exploit these ads to obtain animals they intend to torment and kill, use as bait in dogfighting training, sell to animal testing facilities, feed to other animals, and more.
In one chilling case, a woman who used various aliases on social media to target people rehoming their animal companions went on to torture and kill more than 20 dogs, cats, and unborn kittens—and posted the horrific acts online. One heartbreaking video showed her “hanging and strangling a grey kitten.”
In another case, a man who acquired cats through Craigslist and other channels tormented and killed no fewer than 10 of them. These innocent felines were seen restrained with zip ties, burned, and pierced with arrows and needles.
These listings also make it easier for people to adopt animals on a whim—only to abandon them later when the responsibility becomes too much or they lose interest.
What You Should Do Instead
Companion animals are a lifetime commitment. Often, shelters, rescues, and local agencies have resources that may aid you in being able to avoid this difficult choice so your first option should be to reach out for assistance anywhere and everywhere you may find it. The decision to rehome should only be considered when all other options have been exhausted as rehoming an animal is a serious responsibility.
If you absolutely need to rehome a companion animal, avoid listing them for free online and instead work with reputable shelters or rescues that carefully screen potential adopters.
Charging a rehoming fee, conducting interviews, checking references, checking animal abuser registries, and visiting a potential adopter’s residence can go a long way in helping ensure your animal companion finds a safe, loving, and lasting home, which is what all animals deserve.
