Make Craigslist Enforce Its Rules Against Puppy Sales

Dear Mr. Buckmaster,

  My name is Kelly Pennypacker.   I together with many people from around the world am petitioning you Mr. Buckmaster because of how Craigslist is currently impacting the already terrible pet overpopulation problem.  I know you've been petitioned and written to many times before imploring Craigslist to do something about the people who post prohibited pet sale, stud, and free giveaway ads on Craigslist and for whatever reason Craigslist continues doing nothing to stop them.  I feel a need to put my two cents into the ring so to speak and plead my case.  Here goes.

 Craigslist prohibits sales of puppies yet thousands of breeders and puppy millers are selling puppies on Craigslist every day all over the country with Craigslist doing nothing to stop them. Being able to advertise for free enables these people to reach an audience they would not have otherwise reached, thereby adding to the huge overpopulation problem in the United States. Millions of healthy, innocent dogs, not to mention cats, are killed every year because of the irresponsible over-breeding that is done by backyard breeders and puppy mills, and Craigslist is enabling them.
Craigslist also prohibits giving puppies away for free yet does nothing to enforce this rule. This is very dangerous because these animals may be used as bait for dog fighters. People who torture and kill animals like to search the listings for new victims.  Other people that source animals for research facilities all use these ads to find pets.  A newer phenomena is pet flipping – searching free adds for pets to sell for a profit elsewhere (they often end up in one of the above categories). 

In a recent news story animal control officers arrested David Williford on accusations he starved and tortured animals he found on Craigslist. According to prosecutors, officers found more than 20 dead Guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs on his property on Cooper Point Road in Olympia.  Some of the animals were found in dirty cages, others were hanging from walls, according to court documents.  He was butchering and eating these Craigslist-obtained animals.  

In another recent news story a young man named Jeffrey Nally was accused of mutilating and killing 29 puppies he received through Craigslist “free to good home” ads.  Is this the type of behavior that Craigslist wants to be responsible for enabling?  

I have read where you, Mr. Buckmaster, have stated that you won't take animal ads off Craigslist because you are animal lovers and you believe Craigslist does a service to animals.  The problem with that statement is that it is false.  Craigslist, in enabling breeders and puppy mills to freely advertise their multiple litters over and over again, is part of the pet overpopulation problem, causing over a million pet deaths every year in the United States.  

If Craigslist did not allow these ads breeders and puppy mills would be forced to pay high prices to advertise their litters.  Possibly the backyard home breeders would have fewer litters if they had to spend money to advertise them.  In short, Craigslist is part of the problem, not the solution, of overpopulation and many other negative affects on animals' lives, and that is not doing a service to them, it is causing them harm.  If you truly loved animals Mr. Buckmaster, you would protect them, not be party to exploiting them as you are now.  Rehoming animals shouldn't be as easy as writing a Craigslist ad.  It should be a well thought out process that includes contacting local rescue shelters, not just handing over your supposed beloved pet to someone who answers a Craigslist ad.  Rehoming on Craigslist is harming animals in so many ways.

I believe Craigslist has an obligation to enforce its own rules by removing prohibited ads instead of leaving it up to users to flag them.  Craigslist makes it too difficult for users to flag these prohibited ads because it requires way too many flags before an ad is removed.

 I am part of a group of likeminded people who search out and flag prohibited pet sale, stud, and free giveaway posts.  Some people will contact posters imploring them to reconsider giving away dogs and the consequences of such actions.  Some people will post their own ads imploring people not to buy from these puppy mills and backyard breeders and dog flippers. Unfortunately it's like trying to drain the ocean one drop at a time.  We finally flag a prohibited post enough times to remove it, and it's right back up an hour later.

I am including responses from two people, one from a man giving away a litter of puppies, the  next from a known backyard breeder/dog flipper.  You will see how these people care NOTHING for animals and how they use Craigslist, being that Craigslist doesn't care what they do, to futher their agendas:

3/8/15

Dear Joanne,

Thank you so much for your unwanted, albeit informative, response to my ad. In my ad I specifically clicked the box that said it is NOT OK to contact me about other services. That message is clearly visible in my ad, putting YOU in violation of the Craigslist terms of service!

In all honesty I didn't want these puppies. I didn't even want our dog as it's just another mouth to feed, ass to clean up after, and excuse to spend money on toys! But my wife just insisted.... 
So now this bitch (female dog) gets pregnant by the neighbors dog. These are NOT pure breeds that can fetch big $$ if the puppies have papers, nope, these are mutts that no one wants to pay for. The neighbor wanted NOTHING to do with it, so guess who paid all the vet bills and extra $$ for special food during the pregnancy? Yep, I did! I wish someone would start a doggie abortion clinic because I would have taken our dog there instead!
So now the puppies are born, and wrecking havoc on my apartment (pee and poo everywhere). We can't keep them, they are not worth any money, and the beloved shelters that you speak of want to CHARGE ME MONEY for dropping off these animals! Why? Because they said it costs them $$ to care for them. So what was I to do?

Now, according to Craigslist I CAN post my animals up for adoption but I can't sell them. Well, asking for a "rehoming fee" is (in my opinion) the same thing as selling them. Think about it. Gee officer, I wasn't SELLING my marijuana, I was just rehoming it! Same shit! Therefore I chose to give away the puppies for FREE (cheaper then paying the shelter to take them).
. 
According to the law, dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals (pets) are considered to be property. Therefore, these puppies were my property, and I have a right to do what I want with my property (within reasonable limits of course). So if I choose to give my puppies away for free, I have a right to do so. If I choose to give my puppies to a total stranger, I have a right to do so. If I choose to give these puppies to a licensed animal testing lab, I have a right to do so! That is MY business, MY choice as the dogs are MY property,.... NOT YOURS! Do what you want with your property and let me do what I want with mine!

Please don't take this email response personally, I am also sending it to the other 4 tree hugging lunatics who responded to my ad similarly.

Thanks (for wasting your time and mine)
Benjamin
PS. I gave the puppies away to the first three people who showed up. No interview, no ID, no money exchanged, no questions asked! It was my right to do so if I pleased, and it pleased me very much to see these puppies leave my house!!!!

Example number two from Dog Flipper/Backyard Breeder:

”RE: Tree Huggers. .. (Seattle) 

3/21/15 post id: 4941757771

Tree huggers.,.So what if people are selling dogs over here it's not illegel CL does not care why should all of you FLAggERS? ..? Flipping puppies is not illegal so if people buy why do you care . Get a life.you will NEVER stop us from selling puppies, just try !!. you are all a bunch of no life losers and idiots and these puppies are my property and I can do what I want, you probably can not afford our dogs anyway..Stop wasting my time I don't give a rats ass about flaggers. Seattle is lazy they don't want to go to a stupid shelter or flag so I am selling my dogs fast cha Ching ! Nobody cares about all you animal loving tree huggers! I will be here every day every single day. Flaggers are nut jobs !”

Craigslist posseses the technology in the form of an automated system to immediately remove an ad that contains a prohibited item. Or Craigslist could start charging people a high fee for animal-related ads.  Something has to be done Mr. Buckmaster, about this free animal trafficking going on on your site.

We respectfully petition you, Mr. Buckmaster, as CEO of Craigslist to use your power for the good of all companion animals and enforce your rules against sales, giveaways, and stud services of live animals.  We also respectfully request that you do not allow "re-homing" of animals as that term is being used for sales.  Please do not allow ANY ads to sell, "re-home", advertise stud services, or give away for free ANY LIVE ANIMAL on Craigslist.   Please Mr. Buckmaster, make Cragslist part of the Solution instead of the problem.  Thousands upon thousands of helpless dogs and cats will have you to thank for their lives.

Thank you.

Very Sincerely,

Kelly Pennypacker