From newspaper ads and online classifieds, to posters on coffee shop boards, you may see advertisements for puppies or kittens that are “free to a good home.” This is usually offered by pet-owners who are not seeking to profit from their animal’s offspring, but rather want to secure safe places for the little ones. While this might be an ideal opportunity to those who want a pet but may not be able to afford an expensive purebred animal, or for someone who would struggle to pay the adoption fees. However, offering your pet’s litter for no charge at all is extremely unadvisable. Here are some reasons why:

“Free To a Good Home”

Giving away pets for free can be dangerous. Using advertisements to offer to give pets away may not draw the best crowd. One factor to remember is that people value what they pay for. If a pet costs someone nothing, they may be treated as if they are worthless.

  1. Dangerous for the pet. There was a recent report published about a man who was found guilty of abusing and killing dozens of dogs that he obtained from “free to a good home” ads. Under the guise of looking to get her girlfriend a present, 19 year old Jeffrey Nally, Jr. picked up a total of 29 dogs over a certain amount of time. The dogs were tortured and killed by this psychotic man, before he was caught as found guilty of abuse and cruelty to animals. These kinds of horrors can occur when a seemingly friendly person comes by to pick up a free pet, but there are other fates equally as hair-raising. Some illegal dog-fighting trainers will pick up free animals and strays to train their killers to bite these “practice dogs” to death. Tied up, muzzled and defenseless, the “free pets” sometimes become bait for brutal killing dogs. Giving away dogs and cats for free will generally draw people that want little accountability, and little financial loss.
  2. Dangerous for society. If free animals are provided to wicked people who enjoy harming creatures, or training dogs to become killers, then the problem will only increase. That might sound extreme, but behavioral sciences prove that violence is progressive. Once patterns begin in people, it is difficult to slow down or redirect. When a pet is given away, these “guinea pigs” dogs and cats are put in the hands of potential sociopaths, which actually enables them to feed a sickness that could threaten human lives at some point. Not only is this horribly dangerous for the animals that could become victims, but it also puts humans in jeopardy as well. People with evil intentions will always attempt others to find a way to carry out their schemes, but the more that people limit their accessibility to innocent creatures, the better off this world will be.

If you have puppies of kitties that you are looking to place in a good home, learn how to sell a litter, and write the kind of “adopt a pet” ad that will help you find a responsible owner to care for the animal. Even though you are not signing up to provide for these pets in the future, while they are under your supervision it is up to you to make sure they are given to truly safe and loving pet owners.