No one should profit off a dog they can't look after

[SleepyHollowed84]

I am planning to rescue a dog in the near future but over the holidays I was browsing at Pets 4 Homes (mainly too look at cute puppies).

I am absolutely shocked by the number of 6-12 month old dogs that are being rehomed because 'we can't give them the time/attention/love they deserve'. All whilst listing them for £1,000 because presumably, that's what they paid for the puppy.

Now, I believe all animals should have loving homes and I appreciate rehoming is always an option. But does no one do their research on what dog ownership is actually like?

and WHY are people trying to 'make back' the money they have spent?

IMO, you buy a puppy and need to rehome it, you forfeit the money you spent. Maybe don't list them for free but a nominal £100-200 rehoming fee would suffice.

AIBU? Is it ok to try and recoup some money you spent because you didn't fully understand what a commitment it is to have a puppy?

YABU - you should be able to sell the dog for what you bought it for
YANBU - it shouldn't be about the money and it's a sunk cost you have to deal with

The plus side is that a high price is likely to deter anyone looking to pick up a free dog.

Yanbu. I think that anyone who is a decent human being and who actually cares about where the dog will end up would contact a local rehoming charity for support in finding a home rather than trying to sell a dog to anyone on the internet.

How about this for a piss take then we rehomed a dog with a friend for free because she promised she’d look after him
And then a year later I got a message through to say that she had sold him on because he peed on her carpet so she wanted the £300 to recuperate it towards her lack of training of the dog that she’d had for free
We never spoke again

Older dogs are cheaper than puppies. So they are not recouping their money but they do deter unscrupulous buyers including puppy mill type breeders.
Also, circumstances change. Seven months ago I was living in a house with a big garden and between my partner and I we could absolutely give the dog all the time and attention in the world. Since then, the relationship ended and I now live in a tiny holiday-type place with no access to outdoors and nobody home during the day even if I could take the dog with me. No, I could not forsee it happening at the start of last year. Judge all you like but even you can't predict the future.

Totally see where youre coming from OP, but a nominal fee could also give opportunity to people who can afford that fee, but may also be unsuitable people to have a dog, and may not have the best interests of the dog at heart

You do know horrible folk pick up free/cheap dogs and cats for dog baiting don’t you?

All the better to use a rehoming charity rather than just anyone off the internet

No-one should be selling a dog to a random off the internet, whatever the price.

Better to pay a local rehoming charity to take the dog and find it a decent home.

Doesn't mean that charging a grand for a dog somebody has already failed to look after is anything other than getting the money back to buy a new, shiny puppy to then sell on once the cuteness fades.

Depends what type of dog. My GSD is KC registered from a long pedigree, now she's 2 and at breeding age she's worth twice what I paid for her as a puppy. She's going to be neutered now she's mature but, she was 1 of 14 puppies who my neighbour's dog had - they made £21,000 with that litter. So shows why some older dogs have value still.

They made £21,000 from the 14 puppies then sold Mum for £4k 😕🤷🏼‍♀️

They ask a high fee so that the poor dog doesn’t end up being ripped apart alive by the scum who are in to dog fighting using it as bait. Collecting a free dog and telling the owner they will give it a great life is easier than stealing a dog. Never give an animal away free or sell cheaply cheap to strangers.

This. Whilst I agree with the rest of what the OP said, it would be very dangerous to sell pets on the cheap. Looking after a dog is incredibly expensive just with vets fees and insurance alone but by the time you've factored in food, treats, toys, beds, pet sitters etc, they are not cheap at all. If a potential adopter can't afford to pay the appropriate price for a dog, they have no chance of being able to provide for it properly.

I am not sure why people think they have the right to own other sentient beings.
I do. Because, given the present situation, she has to be owned by someone and I try to make life as good as I can for her.
The idea of people not owning animals usually get dismissed as PETA nonsense but I really think it's worth considering.

My pets have the life of Riley and I don’t think they would want a different life.

I don't think it's a choice between giving an animal away for free or charging an extortionate fee. My post was predominantly about these 8-12 month old puppies whose owners clearly can't handle them once the cute factor has worn off, and then charge near what they paid for them.

I don't know what these dog fighting scumbags would be willing to pay, but surely not £500-600? Surely that would be a more appropriate figure?

and what about rehoming centres and rescue centres? Surely they are a better channel than these Amazon-like pet websites.

Not always. Some shelters have policies that of a dog is not rehomed within a certain timeframe, they will be put down. It's not uncommon.
Also, pets4home is not Amazon. I got my cat from a lovely breeder on there. I was fully vetted and visited him and had an interview before the breeders agreed to sell to me.

They probably paid £2000 it’s not unusual. So £1000 I don’t think is outrageous. I know someone that paid over £1,000 for a dog that was being rehomed as it didn’t get on with their other dog. It was under 12 months old.

I would never ever re-home a dog of mine ‘cheaply’ or to just some stranger of the internet, without doing my own due-diligence, to the very best of my abilities first.

I have been in the incredibly difficult position of having to rehome a dog, she went to the best home we could possibly find, and to the best of my knowledge she is very happy there, we get annual birthday updates every year, visited the persons home, and met there family before she left.

Even if a charity was involved, it’s not a 100% guarantee that the home the dog is going to is genuine, kind and the right home for that dog. Kennels themselves can be very traumatising. Also, in my experience- you cannot trust every so called ‘charity’…

Many rehoming charities aren’t taking in dogs as they don’t have the capacity- it’s not uncommon for there to be waiting lists.

If someone can only afford a nominal fee then they can’t afford a dog tbh

I’ve had several free dogs and cats. I’ve put a lot of time and money into sorting the fuck ups the previous owners made. They’ve had fabulous long lives on our small holding. Luckily their previous owners have recognised a good home when they came and inspected it, and not assumed all people taking dogs for free are dog fighters. Nobody is going to pay top money for an unwanted dog. Particularly me!

They can ask for whatever they want. Doesn't mean people are willing to pay it. I wouldn't spend that to re-home a dog.

It’s so they aren’t cheap or free for dog fighting or bait dogs. If your willing to pay £1000 for it it you obviously actually want it.

I don't really pay for animals either. There are always dogs/cats/rabbits being given away for free.

Out of the 5 dogs I've owned as an adult I've only paid for 2.

I've also never paid for a cat as I used to run a very small scale cat rescue and used to ask for a monetry donation of choice or a donation of cat food.

Nowadays, I just take the waifs and strays home from work (vets).

If you advertise a dog for free, there is a high chance that a very nice looking and polite woman will come to pick the dog up who will promise to love and cherish the dog.

She will be the respectable face of dog fighting and the dog will be passed to her boyfriend or husband to be used as bait in dog fighting.