13 week old puppy on Craigslist

[tanza]

I would guess that this is someone that bought the pup… only because BYB's are usually pretty "cheap" and I doubt would be selling with paid neuter, plus all the other stuff.... and what is he going to do after the 29th, which is Sunday, since he said that he had to be placed by then....

[sharronhurlbut]

This is sad. I hope this guy will reconsider his decision to sell this pup.

[snorky998]

Breaks my heat then makes me angry!! Andrew, thank you for having a calm/level headed reaction to this. My first reaction to this would have been a email titled "Dear Asshole…"

[sharronhurlbut]

We can only hope that the person who buys his finds this forum.

[YodelDogs]

I saw the ad also. I sent him an email right after he posted the ad suggesting that he contact his breeder and see if they would take the dog back or help him rehome it. (I know, CKC papers but who knows it might be a BYB that cares about the pup). I also said that if he couldn't find the pup a home before he had to leave town to contact BRAT or myself and I would pick the pup up. No word back from him, not suprisingly.

[YodelDogs]

@snorky998:

Breaks my heat then makes me angry!! Andrew, thank you for having a calm/level headed reaction to this. My first reaction to this would have been a email titled "Dear Asshole…"

Why are you angry? What do you feel was wrong about his post?

In case some idiot flags it, here is the post:

I have a 13 Weeks old, healthy Basenji pupp in need of a good home. I was just informed that I have to go away on business for 4 weeks and will not be able to take my pupp with me. I would like to rehome him.

I will be asking for small adoption fee for the pup and ALLLLLLL of his belongings. He will come with all his Toys, Food ,Treats, Crate, Beds, Puppy Education classes - he has 5 weeks left, YEAR worth of vet visits paid, his Neutering at 6 months is paid for, and more.

I have to rehome the pup by 3/29/09…

[MacPack]

I never think of Craigs List, but evidently that is where to look for lost dog notices, and where to post found dogs, according to lots of folks around here.

The add doesn't sound all that bad to me, and if $500 includes a year of vet care and his neutering, that isn't really so bad, for someone wanting a young dog. Too bad he hasn't been health tested, though. I hope he will contact BRAT if the pup hasn't been sold, hopefully to a basenji-savvy home.

[tanza]

Only comment that I will make is that with a responsible breeder, it this were to happen, the pup would go back to them…. Does anyone think that this person is able to screen homes, especially since he could have only had the pup at most for 5 wks, saying that he brought him home at 8wks? Just because he paid for neuter at 6 months, doesn't mean that someone would take the dog and use it for breeding....

[Andrew]

This is what angers me about this guy. Here is a brief paraphrased synopsis of our communication through e-mail.

Me: Your puppy is cute, but I already have two. I recommend you try BRAT. If you can't find another alternative, I could take him in for 4 weeks while you're out of town.

No response from the seller, although several from BRAT chat got responses when they inquired about price

Me: Hi, perhaps I could fit him into my home after all. How much?

Seller: $500. I bought him for $350, but he comes with paid neuter & vet care for a year, toys, crate, food, etc etc etc.

Me: Has he been tested for Fanconi? $500 seems a fair price if he is clear.

Seller: I haven't tested him for that, but I know he's healthy.

I responded with a quick description of Fanconi & testing. I told him it was a steep price for a genetic risk, but said maybe we could work something out. He hasn't responded since.

There's a good chance this puppy is related to mine. Lola is CKC & our "breeder" had something like 5 litters this year!!!!! :eek:

It irks me that he clearly doesn't care about his puppy if he's unwilling to take either mine or Robyn's offer (I didn't know Robyn had already offered to help). Also, for him to post on 3/26 that it needs to be gone by 3/29 is ridiculous. What does he intend to do if he can't sell it?
I'm just praying praying praying he finds a fabulous basenji savvy home or realizes he can't sell it & allows one of us to help.
And I found him by accident. I was actually looking for a crate. Craigslist is a great resource for everything.

[YodelDogs]

I'm curious about the paid neuter. I wonder where, or how, he got that? And is it transferable to another owner? If this is with PetsMart's Banfield, I have heard they don't transfer pre-paid procedures if the pet changes home. Anyone know more about that?

And Craigslist…ugh. Most of the people who post there have the IQ of a cricket. People are always arguing about "rehoming fees". It gets rather heated at times.

It irks me that he clearly doesn't care about his puppy if he's unwilling to take either mine or Robyn's offer (I didn't know Robyn had already offered to help). Also, for him to post on 3/26 that it needs to be gone by 3/29 is ridiculous. What does he intend to do if he can't sell it?

He may just be holding out in hopes he can sell the pup before just giving it away. It doesn't sound like he would just dump it somewhere so I wouldn't write off it going to rescue just yet.

[dmcarty]

You know for folks who really want to get some money - sometimes the best thing you can do is leave a website for basenji information (like maybe the forum addy) and say well when you find a home - give them this resource so we can help with any questions. Since he is paying for so much upfront I bet that he really wants to feel like he had a say on where the dog goes. Probably got it from someplace not the best but he does sort of sound like he's trying.

I frequently leave my contact info at shelters in the event a dog comes in and is placed before we hear about it - they can pass the info along -

[snorky998]

It angers me, Robyn, because it appears as if he purchased this pup, lost interest, and decided to toss it aside not unlike a toddler with a used toy. Difference is, this "castoff" is a living breathing entity, probably bonded to this 'human' (and I use that term with great distress) and is now being sold to the highest bidder.:mad:

Andrew said it with a cooler head than I. Thank you, Andrew.:o

(Just an aside, I'm not clear on just what you meant when you stated "in case some idiot flags this".)

[sharronhurlbut]

Its tough when you see b's or dogs treated like this.
All we can do is tap down our feelings and try to get the dog into the best place it SHOULD be.
I do my cussing privately, once the dog is safe.

[Andrew]

@snorky998:

(Just an aside, I'm not clear on just what you meant when you stated "in case some idiot flags this".)

I haven't spent much time on Craigslist, but if you spend even a few minutes on the pet classifieds area of the website, it quickly becomes clear there are only 3 types of posts. The whole premise of Craigslist pet listings is that you are not allowed to sell dogs for profit; it is for rehoming pets. It advises to charge a small adoption fee to prevent unscrupulous buyers, but I think its supposed to be no more than $100.
The first type of posts are people trying to sell dogs. The vast majority of these posts are for registered dogs going for hundreds of dollars & appear to be the BYB sort. Very few people actually use it for rehoming pets as it is intended.
The second type of post is shelter and/or rescue workers desperately trying to get the word out about animals in danger of being PTS. They often use attention getting language in the titles such as "ONLY 1 DAY TO LIVE!!! GOING TO THE GAS CHAMBER TOMORROW!" etc.
The third type of post is the type used to respond to anybody who has already posted. They can be "To the idiot selling "pure bred Pits" or "To the idiot shelter worker" of "To the jerk who adopted my dog & is now selling it for profit" etc etc etc. It quickly becomes a back & forth of posts & the sensationalists will flag pretty much anything for removal.
So maybe every 6th or 7th post involves an actual pet ad, and maybe 1 in 25 or 30 is a legitimate rehoming because of an unforseen & unpreventable circumstance.

[Kona]

There is another basenji puppy on Craigslist in Tampa. They are charging $100. No other information is posted in the ad.

[sharronhurlbut]

Oh, a puppy! Sigh…that just makes me sad.

[MacPack]

Does Kona need a sibling?????

[dmcarty]

At the risk of angering many I just HAVE to say this - As time goes on - I come more and more to believe that as long as we (responsible breeders) continue to 'rescue', save, rehome the leavings of BYB, PM and irresponsible people we are providing a market and 'solving' their problem. In the meantime - those of us who are reputable and take our animals back when situations change - produce fewer pups because we have no homes because people get from rescues which get their dogs from BYB and PM.

It is not a coincidence that after the big Kansas City Rescue 6 years ago - many breeders stopped breeding or bred fewer litters - and I'm one of them. There were so many dogs in the 'pipeline' that I referred several people on my waiting list to these rescue dogs from a 'collector' so no puppy homes there and I ended up keeping several from that litter because of that. Those rescue dogs ended up being more work than they thought so couldn't take a 2nd dog or so fearfull that some needed to be put down and they didn't want a basenji after that. So instead od dogs from responsible folks what is out there is in shelters or rescue groups and NOT from those of us who have spent many years - raising with love and care - a healthy and quality product.

I have done rescue myself and I feel for these poor dogs BUT soon that will be the ONLY place to get a dog and I don't think that is what we should be striving for. I am not being critical of those who do rescue - but take a second and consider the unintended consequence of rescue.

[Lauma]

If any of you have followed my journey to cure my older Basenji lady of her seizures, she had been perscribed Phenonbarbital, but I couldn't keep her on "therapeutic" levels because she was too doped up and wasn't herself. I finally found a great vet after a lot of searching and she prescribed Zonisamide which (so far) has worked great: no "dopiness" and NO seizures! I will say this much: my little girl is definitely a Senior (between 12 - 14 years old) and she may have a tumor or some other condition. That said, I don't want to put her under the knife and her current quality of life is fantastic: she is sassy and bosses her junior Basenji boys and naps and play as she pleases. The occasional seizures she has suffered have been about once a month for the past year and they last about 2 minutes. Since she's been on the Zonisamide, she has had no seizures and no side affects. I am not saying this is a cure-all, I am just saying this drug was never mentioned to us when she first started having seizures and for us it has been a blessing.

[Lauma]

Well, you definitely have a valid point. I think the message is: "consistency." I think that is what we can expect when we get dogs from reputable breeders. That said, I have two rescue dogs and two breeder dogs. I love them all the same and I may favor my rescued dogs because of the hardships they endured prior to living with me, but the truth is, I can only trust my breeder dogs with, say, little children, etc. because I know the rescued dogs have unknown histories and dislike children and can behave very unpredictably.

All these dogs are worthy of love and we need to rescue and need to keep breeding, but we need to have realistic expectations either way.