Read This Before You Adopt Free Puppies On Craigslist

At times, adopting a dog from a shelter can be quite a challenging task. You have to invest time and the paperwork can be overwhelming. So, when you find a free dog online, on Craigslist, for example, it might seem like a miracle.

But the excitement is short-lived. Most of the puppies have health issues, and the owners end up with large vet bills, or they even have to put them down at times.

On sites like this, you risk running into backyard breeders. People like this don’t care if the dogs are born deformed or with other issues, they just want to get quick cash. Many dogs are even inbred. Because of these issues, owners are often forced to rehome their pets.

And the ads often seem sincere. But, because of the anonymity of the internet, you can never be sure. As there isn’t much to do to regulate these sites, the animals end up suffering. In one awful case, Jeffrey Nally Jr. Got 29 free dogs on Craigslist only to mutilate and torture them in front of his girlfriend. Jason Brown was another person who used Craigslist to acquire four dogs and behead them. They even advertise dogs for fights online.

These sites don’t require a contract to be signed. Many people have bought animals for what seemed like a good price, only for them to die a couple of days later. And they couldn’t get their money back.

Once you put “free” next to an adoption ad, the animal becomes unsafe. It’s foolish to get pets online without extensive background checks, and even then, you can’t be sure everything is perfect.