Free rabbits offered on Craigslist
Comment: We’ve all heard the tired old excuses people give for dumping their pet. While some reasons and circumstances may be legitimate, most are not. People buy on a whim and just as easily discard, sometimes within a few weeks and sometimes after many years. And rarely do they want to hear the truth regarding the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, our companion animals are paying the price for human behaviour.
Many people choose to give their rabbit away for free, and the following ads are but a small sampling of what was found on Craigslist earlier this year.
(spelling has been corrected, names, locations, and phone numbers removed)
Adorable black bunny needs a new home
Reply to:
comm-268081276@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-01-24, 10:25PM PST
I have a beautiful and super friendly bunny rabbit. However, I need to find her
a new home as I am away at work all day and she needs more attention than I can
give her. She is not neutered (year old), comes with large cage and big bag of
cage bedding.
bunny rabbit needs playful home
Reply to:
comm-272632142@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-02-04, 12:38AM PST
All white, 8 month old floppy eared bunny (Casper) needs a family that can give
him lots of attention. We just don't have the time to play with him and he looks
so lonely in his cage. He loves to be held and played with, would be very good
for childs' first pet. I would be willing to give him up for free.
RABBIT looking for new Home!!! FREE (Comment: rabbits aren’t kid's pets and are totally inappropriate for a day care. Would be extremely stressful)
Reply to:
comm-277919002@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-02-12, 9:13PM PST
We are looking for a new home for our pet rabbit. Great with kids. Grey and
white. 1 yr old. Comes with large bag of food, hay and large bag of sawdust.
Perfect for day care or young children, or rabbit lover. We just bought it a
new cage. You can have that too. We are just looking for a loving home for our
Lucy to go to. Rabbit has not been spayed.
Ramsay the Rabbit looking for good home
Reply to:
(info removed)
Date: 2007-02-14, 10:03PM PST
Ramsay is a 3 year old Himalayan Dwarf rabbit. He is neutered and litter
trained. He loves to play and gets along well with other pets (that treat him
gently). He is mainly an indoor rabbit but is used to wearing a harness for
outdoor play sessions. I am very sad to have to give him up, but I must, due to
my new apartment situation.
I want your bunny!!!!
Reply to:
comm-278990225@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-02-14, 11:12PM PST
Looking for cheap/free rabbit to adopt! (Comment: clearly unsuitable,
unrealistic expectations, but indicative of what’s out there)
Lots of love to give, and all the time in the world! looking for a very social
bunny who loves wandering around the house and won't make potty everywhere. I
don’t want a biter! and I would appreciate if you could bring it to me as I
don't have a car.
Free beloved bunny to good home (Comment: rabbit thought of as a “starter” pet)
Reply to:
comm-296973499@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-19, 6:45PM PDT
Free to good home, our beloved Toby. We have moved to a small apartment downtown
and added another addition to our family, a puppy. However, with the puppy
there, Toby has not been able to run around anymore. He is litter trained and
loves to be petted and held. He can understand commands such as "stand" and
"come". Toby is a 3.5 years old.
Free adorable bunny to good home!
Reply to:
comm-296978680@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-19, 6:54PM PDT
Due to allergies I have to find a good home for an adorable bunny. He is fluffy
and about 6 months old. He's friendly and full of curiosity, and comes with a
cage. He's really very sweet.
Two rabbits needing loving home (Comment: stereotypical attitude by an adult who ought to know better)
Reply to:
comm-317205532@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-04-23, 10:23AM PDT
One rabbit is house trained and litter trained, very affectionate; he would make
a great classroom pet. The other rabbit is 6 months old and not trained yet,
although she is adorable. Only serious inquiries please.
Bunny up for adoption
Reply to:
comm-318361887@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-04-24, 11:53PM PDT
We have a Netherland dwarf bunny. He is 1 year and a few months old. He already
got neutered, too.
We bought a cage from Petcetera, and you can take it for free.
The bunny is very cute, and we love him, but we recently found out that my
girlfriend is allergic to bunnies.
She has been trying to handle it, but it is getting too much for her, so we have
decided to give him away.
Cat and two rabbits for adoption
Reply to:
comm-324516468@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-05-04, 3:28PM PDT
2 year old cat and 2 year old rabbits for adoption. They were cute as a kitten
and bunnies but as the novelty wore off so did the interest. I feel it is best
they be given away. Free to caring home.
DWARF BUNNY...FREE TO A GOOD HOME (Comment: no thought given to the rabbit, and to suggest “it” as a gift is completely ignorant)
Reply to:
comm-348096768@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-06-08, 7:42PM PDT
We're moving and our doggie’s buddy has got to go.
3 year old white dwarf bunny, comes with all the hardware needed to maintain;
cage, water bottle, feed, poop box etc, etc. A little people shy at first but
loves to be petted once fami1lar with you. Loves running around the yard playing
with the dog. Put a smile on someone’s face, it will make a great gift.
Free Bunny (Comment: “outgrown” the rabbit? No words to describe this one)
Reply to:
comm-348536881@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-06-09, 1:12PM PDT
We have outgrown our bunny. Free to good home--full size white bunny with blue
eyes & long ears. We have a large (3'x2'x2') cage & other feeding accessories if
you like for $40.00.
two young rabbits (Comment: Reiterating that rabbits are prey animals and don’t like being handled. No adoption fee?)
Reply to: (info removed) Date: 2007 -06-22, 9:21 AM PDT
Two young rabbits free to good home. One white female and one black female. Very tame and friendly comes with large indoor cage. Good with children.
Rabbits for Adoption 5 Available
Reply to: (info removed)
Date: 2007-07-09, 1:09PM
Nice rabbits available for adoption. 5 available, great buddies. Had a small
incident. That is why we have new litters available.
Wanted Bunny
Reply to:
comm-385486244@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-07-30, 2:20PM PDT
Wanted rabbit, small to medium breed. My ideal rabbit would be around 1-4 years
in age, litter trained, used to being handled and okay with other animals. I am
not overly fond of all white or mostly white rabbits in general.
Comment: Be wary of anybody looking for a free pet. Oftentimes these people aren’t what they appear to be.
Comment: Enjoy the following!
Really need help. MUST GO!!!
- Reply to:
Date: 2007-11-02, 5:03PM
Please help! After two long years of being on a waiting list for a dog, we have been notified by breed rescue that, at long last, our number has come up and ... WE ARE HAVING A PUPPY!
We must get rid of our children IMMEDIATELY because we just know how time consuming our new little puppy is going to be and it just wouldn't be fair to the children. Since our little puppy will be arriving on Monday we MUST place the children up for adoption this weekend!
They are described as:
One male -- his name is Tommy, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), light blonde hair, blue eyes. Four years old. Excellent disposition. He doesn't bite. Temperament tested. Does have problems with peeing directly in the toilet. Has had chicken Pox and is current on all shots. Tonsils have already been removed. Tommy eats everything, is very clean, house trained and gets along well with others. Does not run with scissors and with a little training he should be able to read soon.
One female -- her name is Lexie, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), strawberry blonde hair, green eyes quite freckled. Two years old. Can be surly at times. Non-biter, thumb sucker. Has been temperament tested but needs a little attitude adjusting occasionally. She is current on all shots, tonsils out, and is very healthy and can be affectionate. Gets along well with other little girls and little boys but does not like to share her toys and therefore would do best in a one child household. She is a very quick learner and is currently working on her house training. Shouldn't take long at all.
We really do LOVE our children so much and want to do what's right for them. That is why we contacted a rescue group. But we simply can no longer keep them. Also, we are afraid that they may hurt our new puppy.
I hope you understand that ours is a UNIQUE situation and we have a real emergency here! They MUST be placed into your rescue by Sunday night at the latest or we will be forced to drop them off at the orphanage or along some dark, country road. Our priority now has to be our new puppy.
Comment: Well said. Postings on Craigslist from people looking to rid themselves of their companion animal haven't slowed down and we're well into 2008. There are repeat ads, and although breeders are prohibited from advertising, rabbit breeders (backyard and professional) are trying to disguise sales as "adoptions" and because the fee is relatively low, most ads remain up. Instead, people using this board flag and have posts removed which point this out. That's human stupidity for you.
Comment: It's 2009 and the message that pets aren't disposable commodities isn't getting through to some people. A September posting had a 3-year-old rabbit looking for a new home because the "kids have outgrown" their companion. What are these parents teaching their children? Treating live beings in this manner is beyond deplorable, and pretty well guarantees they will grow up to be uncaring and irresponsible adults. Or maybe the parents will reap what they sow, and the kids will abandon them in later life.
March 13, 2014 Kijiji has launched a new initiative in an effort to curb the unethical sale of dogs. Thousands of dogs are bought and sold every year on Kijiji, and now the company is taking steps to ensure the site remains a trustworthy place for pet owners.
Kijiji announced this week that it is now charging users $4.99 to post a dog advertisement. In most categories, users can post classified ads for free. The fee will only be charged for dog ads, the company said on its website, because illegal pet vendors appear to be most active in this category.
April 24, 2014 The Calgary Humane Society say Ashley Onen of Calgary used various aliases to get free animals on Kijiji. She was fined $7,000 for her role in an online scam. She is also banned from owning animals for 10 years, with the exception of the pets currently in her care.
She would later sell them, but officials say she neglected them while in her care and falsified the medical histories of the pets. The investigation began in 2011. (Source: CBC News)
Overall, society’s values with regard to animal welfare and animal rights is evolving and consumer buying behaviour is reflecting that change. However, in addition to pet stores and classified ads, websites and online classified sites are ways that animal mills sell pets to naïve customers. Don’t be duped!
Shelters, rescue groups, and pounds are overflowing with unwanted rabbits and other animals. Give them a second chance.
April 11, 2012 Kijiji and Calgary Humane Society to inspect breeders advertising online (update: initiative scrapped)
June 2, 2012 USDA: Regulate Unlicensed Puppy Mills; the Animal Welfare Act; ASPCA campaign; puppy mill statistics
September 9, 2013 Kijiji pressed to end sale of household pets
April 25, 2014 Dozens of exotic animals, many of them dead, seized from Calgary basement suite