Do you think it's right to "sell" a dog you're rehoming?

00112984

Just looking for opinions on this one as I know the mods will be very quick to lock if it gets in any way heated but I'd love to hear what people have to say on the matter if we can be nice and civil.

I'm having my lunch and having a flick through Donedeal (I know, I know) for cute puppy pictures and I have seen a few ads for adult dogs being rehomed privately (ie, not through a rescue). One in particular caught my eye- 7 year old dog being rehome (ad cited change to work commitments) and they were looking for payment of €300! :eek:

Buying a puppy is one thing (this isn't a buy vs. shelter thread) but an adult dog is part of the family and should be a life-long companion. While I understand that situations change and sometimes it's best for the dog to be rehomed, I can honestly say that if it was my dog, I couldn't in good conscience charge. Come to think of it, I'd probably pay someone to take her if it meant she got the best home possible.

I just can't get my head around it.

I know that an adult dog will have cost the owner a lot of money over the years for vaccinations, medical bills, insurance, spaying, food and all of that but that's part of having a dog. Surely if you expect someone to take an older dog into their home and love them like you did, money would be the furthest thing from your mind?

wexford202

you are right OP it does seem very bad to charge someone for giving your loved companion a new home.

A guy down the road from me here rehomes staffies as unfortunately some people buy them have kids and get afraid to keep the dog even thought hey are so loveable. This man does not charge anything and would give you a very strict interview if taking the dog to make sure it was going to a good home.

It is wrong to charge for the dog and any decent citizen wouldn't charge for it. As you say you would nearly pay the person to take the dog.

I actually turns my stoach to think there are people out there doing that.

00112984

Still looking at the site and there are loads of adult dogs being resold for serious money. I can completely understand why a shelter charges but the way I look at it, every euro spent on your dog every year is repaid tenfold in love, loyalty and antics and they've already earned their keep without tacking on an extra €300.

Fair play to Donedeal, though. I reported an ad selling "Ideal gifts for any occasion" (ie- puppies) and they removed it within a minute.

selfbuildache

My 2 cents, coming from a rescue background, is that I always tell people to put a price on a family dog for rehoming. It gets rid of 'unsavoury' people looking for dogs for the wrong reasons, it makes your dog look like its worth something for someone else (twisted logic but apparently true. i.e. if you're giving it away there must be something wrong with it) and finally, some interesting research in the US found that the more people had paid for a dog, the more likely they were to keep it. Can't remember the exact figures but something along the lines that if someone got a dog for free they were X amount of times LESS likely to keep the dog than someone who had paid for it. The research even had a minimum figure of $250 that should be put on a dog for it to 'stay' with a family...

Magenta

I have to say I agree completely with all of you. I could not look at one of mine and put a price on them- like Mastercard ads!- but there are people who will value something more if they've paid money for it. Easy come easy go, with some people I guess.

PS, OP- I look at DoneDeal every day for the cute photos! And I report the bad ads, because despite what is claimed, I don't believe that site is monitored at all. There's multiple litters from the same people week after week and the puppies are all photographed in the same miserable looking shed. Christmas time is the worst.

Yellowsubmarine

No i think if you really cared about the puppies you'd be more concerned about finding them a nice home than how much money your going to get for them. And please never buy "teacup puppies" the people who breed these puppies give the mother something so she has them premature thats why there so small and there never very healthy and don't live for long and need lots of extra attention.

Steve30x

Its hard to truse some people on that website. I have sold 3 dogs on there but I always guarantee that the dogs are well looked after. Also I would not rehome a dog older than 12 months old. They should not rehome a dog older than 12 months old and charge 300 euro.

Inexile

No I dont think its right to charge large sums for a family pet that needs rehoming. I take Selfbuildache point though so perhaps a charge of about €50 is sufficient, use it to cover worming or tick treatments, and I would also check out who I was homing the dogs to.

star-pants

Some people maybe need a new home for their pet and want to make a few quid out of it, as they've put time and effort into keeping it healthy. I don't really think I'd ever do it myself, though I can't see myself ever getting rid of my dogs.

But I got my older dog Lily that way, 150euro she was, misprint, was supposed to be 250 but I didn't care tbh. She was almost 2 when we got her and I think she was meant for our family. Wouldn't change her for the world.

macshadow

selfbuildache wrote: »

My 2 cents, coming from a rescue background, is that I always tell people to put a price on a family dog for rehoming. It gets rid of 'unsavoury' people looking for dogs for the wrong reasons, it makes your dog look like its worth something for someone else (twisted logic but apparently true. i.e. if you're giving it away there must be something wrong with it) and finally, some interesting research in the US found that the more people had paid for a dog, the more likely they were to keep it. Can't remember the exact figures but something along the lines that if someone got a dog for free they were X amount of times LESS likely to keep the dog than someone who had paid for it. The research even had a minimum figure of $250 that should be put on a dog for it to 'stay' with a family...

I think in that case the person selling the dog should put the money received aside to help pay any big vets bills in the future if the new owner cannot afford it for some reason.
The thoughts of letting one of mine go to a new owner for a few grubby bank notes makes me feel sick.