When you want to scream but can't!

[SilverSage]

I REALLY dislike people who abuse and neglect animals for money, and I get HIGHLY IRRITATED when people hybridize animals not because they want to create something new and special, but simply because they don't care about the genetics and just want the money.

I just read this on craigslist..

I have 2 MALE GREEN CHEEK CONURES (DNA'd) - approx 3 - 4 yrs old

I'm looking for a FEMALE -- willing to trade 1 of my males for a FEMALE (must be guaranteed)

It can be a different type of conure ... crimson, pineapple, maroon bellied, etc.

If interested, please email

Thank You

 

[Aquila]

I don't know the history of my two conures beyond what the person I bought them from knew from the original owner. Intending to breed them, but had them on a WILD bird seed diet, the conures were fairly different in ages (doesn't matter much now that they're older) and never produced from what he knows, he never set them up for breeding but took them in among many other birds.

I'm on craigslist all the time and though I don't see this often with birds, I see it with other kinds of animals all the time and it makes me sick, unfortunately there's not much we can do about it. :/

 

[Mallory]

This is why I stopped looking at our local craigslist! As a dog lover too I see some terrible things on our local section, then tons of probable "impulse purchase" ferrets, birds and reptiles in bad condition looking for new homes - ironically the people are usually looking for "retail price" for these animals. I have never found anything good on craigslist, in fact in the past we have adopted maybe four reptiles from it and all were in such bad condition when we met them we couldn't say no, none of them survived to this day (mbd, starvation, dehydration, worse). Many of my animals are rescues, some were from good owners but have abuse or neglect in their prior history. Some were left at my work because for whatever reason the owner no longer wanted or could no longer care for them, others dumped on a roadside by anonymous people. Many of the animals that live at my work, especially the nonnative animals we use for tours, have sad histories or their owners simply could no longer care for them for whatever reason. There are a shocking amount of "exotic" animals left behind dumpsters or in vacant apartments here, how you can leave a reptile or ferret in a plastic container in the direct sun in summer in Texas I cannot understand...there are always other options. I have had to turn a blind eye to all of this because my home is "at capacity" - if I took in more animals we would struggle with the space and time required. I wish we could rescue all of them and find them good homes, but the truth is that I focus on giving the ones we have saved the best possible life and I have to be at peace with myself that for those animals, the suffering is over.
Whenever I meet potential pet owners I always try to be realistic about the cost, time and effort required to own animals, and I also always try to educate people on the needs of their animals if the opportunity presents itself. Having worked in a pet store I have seen all the impulse purchases and bad pet ownership they can perpetuate, and few of their employees are encouraged to screen people as it would cut into the store's profits. This is one of those things that is a constant internal struggle when you love animals - how to reconcile your own abilities and the needs of your current animals with the needs of the abused/neglected animals you will meet. Didn't mean to go on and on but this is something I feel strongly about and am confronted with daily even if I don't go out of my way looking for it.

 

[MyFlock]

I think 'our' Craigslist is extra special when it comes to outrageous pet ads.

Anyway, I've only purchased one pet on CL which was a lovebird, bird was in good condition, healthy etc - college student didn't have time for him anymore.

 

[Mimsy01]

Ya craiglist can hurt to see. There was a greencheek and sun conure in ours being sold as a proven pair.

I see multiple of small animals-rats, bunnies, gps being sold in very small cages, most of the time filthy.

Same with a lot of the birds, I'm surprised at so many medium sized birds-like greys and the such being sold in tiny cages.

Then many will put a high price on them because you get that small disgustingly dirty cage with it and some crappy food.

It's a good thing I'm in a smaller home and paranoid of contagions or I might end up being a horder of craiglist pets.

 

[Doublete]

I got my two dogs off craigslist. One was saved from 6 months in a kill shelter by a girl in a wheelchair and he is too puppy like- needed training- and they couldn't afford it. The other I really don't know why they gave him up. He's a good dog. Had some minor issues but he's a shiba inu and they all do.
I also got my healthy lovebird off it and my amazon as well. Chiqui was extremely well loved and her family checks in every few months.

So it's not allll bad!

 

[RavensGryf]

I was at a local mall the other day, and we went into a "puppy store" just to look at the poor puppy mill animals, out of curiosity to see what they had. What surprised me was that nearly all of them (approx. 30 dogs total) were "designer" mixed breeds! Not only the common mixes, but even mixes with rare breeds like Havanese and Coton de Tulear.

Not that there is anything inherently wrong with having a mixed breed dog, that's fine if you have a mixed breed, BUT it's absolutely disgusting IMO that they do this on purpose to create a "designer" breed, and think that it should command a higher price because of it! I'm sure without paying attention to genetics! They didn't have the prices on the glass cages, but I'm sure it was way too much for a puppy mill mutt, bred purely for profit.

 

[friendcaique]

yah some cl pets are very neglected but others are just pets that people love but dont have time for because of college etc.

 

[Mariar]

I got sissy off of craigslist.the picture the man sent me was of a scared bird in a tiny cage,no toys,on the floor next to a bunch of tiny cages with cockatoos in them. I wanted to save them all, and I cried when I couldn't.they were selling them at a dirty little flea market,the birds were in the sun..Florida sun.the birds I left behind all looked at me with despair..at least that's what I think. True animal lovers don't hurt animals.