What Could Happen To An Animal From A "Free To Good Home" Ad?

• Tortured or killed by animal abusers
• Sold to research labs for experiments
• Used as bait for fighting dogs
• Used as food for snakes
• Victims of neglect

 What Is A "Buncher?"

A buncher either steals or "adopts" companion animals for the purpose of selling the animal. Bunchers can sell animals for one or more of the following reasons:

• To be used in research labs
• To be used as bait, for example, to train dogs in fighting rings
• To be used as breeding stock in puppy mills or catteries

"Bunchers" can be very deceptive and they prey on people who place "free to good home" ads. They will sometimes use children as part of the ploy and present themselves as a "perfect" family. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

 What To Do If You See A "Free To Good Home" Ad

Whether it is in a newspaper or on the Internet, please take a moment to contact the person who is running the ad. Let them know about the dangers of "Free To Good Home" ads and tell them to proceed very carefully with the adoption, including copying identification (driver's license), checking references, performing a home check before the adoption, using a signed adoption contract, and doing follow-ups.

Do not feel embarrassed to contact the person behind the ad. You will find that many people are grateful that you took the time to inform them of dangers they were unaware of. Click here for a sample letter (opens in a new window).

Don't forget to contact your local newspaper and ask them to run a warning about placing "Free To Good Home" ads, too!

http://halrescue.org/free.html