Just wondering, does your area newspaper...

[Therin]

Does your area newspaper have these warnings in it's pet section?

An ad for a free pet may draw responses from individuals who will sell your animal for research or breeding purposes. Screen respondents carefully.


Sad we have to pets that need rescue:( , sad we have irresponsible pet owners:( , sad there are those out just to make profit. It is good to inform the public that these are problems. In this area dog theft is also a problem, large breeds are preferred. I hate to think of a loved family pet stolen or sold to research.

Just wondering

[Sheenagirl]

Yes, our local newspaper has similar wording. So sad, this must be a pretty wide spread problem. :(

[Roscoe's dad]

The last time I checked, our area newspaper does not.

[rottnreba]

Yes, both our local and the regional papers have warnings. Not just sold for research but used for bait in dog fighting. Ugh, this makes me mad!!!!

[RottQueen]

No, I haven't read such an ad our local newspaper.

[AngelBunny]

The Monadnock Shopper, a free weekly, runs NERR's ad for free when they have space. They also do the same for other rescue groups.

[Michele Baxter]

Yes, our local newspaper does run these ads.
On a related theme...my puppy Irie and my 4 yr. old male Niko were stolen from my yard right before Christmas. My yard is 8 ft. stockade fence with NO gates. Someone had pulled the nails from the outside planking and opening it up. My dogs have free access to the yard via doggy doors. I've lived here for almost 5 years and absolutely love our neighbors and our quiet cul de sac that backs up to a park.
I believe they were possibly just trying to steal the puppy but Niko doesn't leave her side. The police said it was obviously a break-in the nails were pulled from the wood--you could see tool marks.
Thanks to my neighbor who happened to be out mowing that day--and the fact that he is very observant noticed that across the ravine that runs behind our houses--and about 5 houses down my dogs were in someone's backyard. Niko was barking his fool head off and lunging against the chain-link fence. Good boy Nik!!! I immediately drove over and my husband had to lift them over the fence to me--gates were locked on this yard. No one would answer the door. I left a note saying my dogs were microchipped and "thank you for putting them in" as if they had found them loose (you never know what happened) but I wanted them to know they were chipped. As I said I couldn't get anyone to answer the door but there was a car in the drive that was still warm and the engine still ticking, hmmmmm. Just didn't know what to make of the situation. It was very upsetting to think someone would do something like that. The police said they could have been after the dogs, or maybe trying to break in my house and didn't know about the dogs???? About two weeks ago, my neighbor (same one who found them for me) came over to tell me there was ANOTHER rottweiler in that same backyard. Very suspicious if you ask me. I called Animal Control/Humane Society and reported it to their Captain and Director. I hope this person isn't into stealing people's pets and selling them for God knows what. I shudder when I think of how close I was to losing my babies. Please everyone chip or permanently ID your dogs. Research labs are REQUIRED now to scan them now for microchips. I've heard people do this around certain times of year like Christmas for the money. Sad, sad, sad. :(

[Therin]

I guess this really should be in chat....

[Gome]

The threat of theft is real. I live on a busy downtown main street with lots of traffic. We used to rent the first floor of our house out so had to use the cellar doors in the front of the house whenever we needed to get into the basement (our laundry machines were there). The cellar doors practically open right onto the sidewalk as we have no frontage to our downtown row-house. In the summer I was doing laundry and my rottie was sniffing around and she walked out onto the sidewalk. I could still see her and she never runs off so I left her. Then in a second I couldn't see her so I started calling. she didn't come and I ran out to see why she wasn't listening. A man had stopped his truck and was leaning out of the passenger side of his truck calling my dog. I came out just as I saw her running towards the open door of his truck and I screamed her name. He immediately drove off, with screeching tires! Now I never leave her. It really shocked me because it happened 'in my own home.'

[MybabyZeus]

Our two newspapers have that warning as well. That is a terrible thought that someone would be so cruel but I guess it happens all the time. Over the Christmas season this year several dogs were stolen in our neighborhood. It never even entered my mind until reading this thread that they could have been sold for research. :(