Craigslist allows people to advertise a kitten for adoption provided there is a “small adoption fee“. In order to comply with the policy cat owners demand about $5-50 dollars.
Class B dealers in the US are licensed to purchase and sell animals for research. Most deal with other dealers, it seems to me. The key point is that Class B dealers sell random source young dogs for $325-$350. They sell purpose bred dogs for $600-$900¹.
The way I see it, the mark up is enormous and it would make economical sense for a Class B dealer to buy cats advertised on Craigslist.
As a result, I have decided that Craigslist’s policy on advertising cats and dogs does not prevent the wrong people approaching advertisers.
Here is a screenshot of LA Craigslist today. It is just a sample of 168 adverts in total:
Unless I have missed the point, Craigslist is still a market place for the sale of cats, kittens and dogs to dealers where they can pick up cheap cats. Also snake owners would be prepared to pay $20 for a kitten to feed their snake. That’s what I think.
It isn’t good enough Craigslist. Sorry. The policy should be a complete ban on pets as it is the only way to prevent the wrong sort of Craigslist buyer.
Ref:
- http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12641&page=81
Hi! Just want to say thank you for this very informative
article about Craigslist. By the way my name is Quincy and I am from United States – Albuquerque.
Do you think that the benefits – i.e.: adoption successes on craigslist are of substantial amount? I think it’s a hard choice. I would prefer to see no pets on there but then I know alot of people successfully have adopted from there, people that I know or know of, in the past. It’s a hard one.
No it isn’t good enough, you are right Michael, Craiglist shouldn’t advertise pets at all!
It’s a frightening thought how any Tom, Dick or Harry can get hold of a vulnerable animal, it needs to be stopped!