Beware of Dog Flippers if You Need to Rehome Your Pet

Pet lovers beware, if you need to re-home a pet you can’t take care of or find someone to adopt a puppy from your pet’s unexpected litter, there are “dog flippers” out there that want to make you their prey. As with house flippers who make a profit by re-selling a home they just purchased, dog flippers make money on people who need to give away an animal. These despicable individuals pretend they are going to give the pet a good home, but turn around and sell the animal (primarily dogs) for a profit. Dog flipping is not a new concept, but experts say it is on the rise. And even though it is based on a lie, the transaction is legal. “You might think you are giving your dog to a loving home, but it is going to be warehoused with up to eight to ten other dogs in tiny apartments and sold to the highest bidder,” said animal rescuer Sarah Clinton. Dog flippers usually target websites like Craigslist where their deception is less likely to be caught. A couple from Ohio started a Facebook page, Citizens Against Flipping Dogs, after their dog Frankie was flipped. Amy Cannon had nine puppies to re-home when she advertised they could be adopted “free to good homes.” One family took two of the puppies, including Frankie. A short time later Cannon saw Frankie’s picture on Craigslist, offering the puppy for sale with a false description of the dog’s background and why he needed a new home. Cannon confronted Frankie’s new owner who said he was selling the dog for grocery money. She bought the dog back for $70. “It’s beyond our realm of thinking that anybody would look at a companion animal and see it as a means to turn a quick buck,” said Clinton. Experts suggest that pet owners, who need to give away an animal, get to know the person who is going to adopt the pet. They should be wary of anyone that wants a quick deal. Be careful of people who advertise they recently lost a pet and want to adopt a new one, but cannot afford the adoption fees. Clinton also recommends that animals be spayed and neutered so there are no “oops litters” of unwanted kittens or puppies that need to find new homes. Courtesy of http://www.care2.com