The Gruesome Facts About 'Free To Good Home' Animals
by Patricia Kelly
June 15, 2000

Unplanned and unwanted litters are often disposed of through 'Free To Good Home' classified advertisements in local newspapers. While this method may have worked well in the past, when we were a younger, more civilized society, this is no longer a safe avenue to pursue for pet placements.

Reputable breeders of dogs or cats will not advertise in this manner. For one thing, they rarely have any animals that can not be carefully placed in new homes. The other reasons involve bunchers, brokers, dog fighting rings, proponents of dog meat dinners and satanic cults.

Bunchers collect dogs by answering 'Free to Good Home' ads, stealing dogs from backyards and, picking up dogs running loose through neighborhoods. When they call about 'Free' animals, they tell a story designed to convince the owners that they are good family people and just want a new family pet to love and cherish. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The bunchers in turn sell these hapless animals for a profit to brokers, people involved with dog fighting, sick individuals who eat dogs and satanic cults.

Brokers normally collect as many dogs and cats as possible and sell them to research facilities where the animals live their lives in cages and undergo experimental procedures. The dog fighting ring people who get their hands on your cute little puppies are using them for bait to teach their fighting dogs how to kill. The dog meat eaters fix these puppies for dinner. Yes, it is a gruesome end for these 'Free to Good Home' babies.

Cats are also at risk when placed through a 'Free To Good Home' advertisement in the newspaper. This is especially true for black kittens around Halloween, as cases have been reported where black kittens have been sacrificed in satanic ceremonies on Halloween.

The best way to ensure that you will not need to place kittens or puppies is to spay and neuter your animals. Check with your local humane society for information on discounted spay and neuter programs in your area.

If you must place an animal, the best thing you can do is locate animal rescue groups. Rescue groups are easily found on the Internet, but make sure you find a reputable rescue group. The American Kennel Club also has a listing of dog rescue groups by breed on the AKC web site. Try searching for the specific breed rescue group that you need. For example, if you were looking for a rescue group for mixed breed animals, search "Mixed Breed Rescue" on the Internet. You can also search for cat rescue groups, try 'Siamese Rescue' or 'Domestic Short Hair Rescue' for your Internet search.

Rescue groups are not animal shelters but animal shelters are the second best choice to use to dispose of unwanted puppies/kittens or adult animals. Both rescue groups and shelters screen potential adopters and require identification and a waiting period before placement of the animals.

If you must indeed place an animal through a 'Free to Good Home' classified ad, there are a few things you can do to eliminate as much risk as possible:

- Ask the individual for their complete name, address and telephone number
- Advise the caller that you will bring the animal to their home so that you can do a home check.
- Ask why they want this particular animal
- Ask what happened to their previous animal or animals
- Ask them for the name and telephone number of their veterinarian
- Advise that you will call their vet and ask for a reference
- Trust your intuition - if you get a 'bad feeling', listen to it and be wary

Remember, you are responsible for your pets and for any offspring they produce because you have failed to spay or neuter them. Don't let these precious lives end in such ghastly, disgusting and painful ways. Think twice before placing a 'Free To Good Home' advertisement, but if you must, be sure to follow the steps above to minimize the risk to your puppies or kittens.