Ban free to good home ads on Craigslist

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Urge Craigslist to Ban 'Free to a Good Home' Ads in Wake of Hideous Torture, Killing of Animals I got this post on my bulletin board; please help stop these ads! We all know Craigslist. It's a Web site for people to post local community classifieds and forums. It's a great place to find a job, an apartment, and sometimes even a girlfriend or boyfriend. Unfortunately, animals are being given away to anyone who wants them via "free to a good home" ads on Craigslist. PETA has written to Craigslist about the many animals who suffer neglect and abuse—and are sometimes even killed—as a result of these ads. In 2005, we requested that Craigslist implement a policy prohibiting "free to a good

home" ads, and Craigslist posted a mild warning about giving away animals via its Web site. However, in light of recent cruelty cases involving extreme suffering of animals obtained through the Web site, PETA has renewed its reasonable request that Craigslist ban these ads once and for all. On September 16, Austin Patterson of San Antonio, Texas, allegedly tortured and mutilated three gray tabby cats. According to news reports, the animals were found duct-taped to pieces of plywood with their bodies arranged in the shape of a triangle. A box of nails, a hammer, a pair of scissors, and knives were reportedly found next to the animals' mutilated bodies. If that weren't enough, reports indicate that one of the cats was disemboweled, that at least two of the cats had their throats slit, and that all three had fishing line tied around their necks. The cats, including this 3-year-old male named Taylor, were reportedly obtained via ads posted on Craigslist, which offered the animals "free to a good home." Craigslist is in a position to help prevent the suffering of animals like Taylor. Please urge Craigslist to do the right thing and immediately implement a policy prohibiting "free to a good home" ads. You can take action/send a message here: http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/craigs_list_animals My own letter to CraiglistI am well aware that Craigslist allows "free to a good home" ads on its site. I have sent numerous requests in the past asking Craiglist to STOP allowing these ads, but have always met resistance IF I was replied to at all. I was even challenged once to provide proof or statistics as to how many animals ended up in the wrong hands from Craiglist ads. Since I could not provide hard evidence, that animals given away soley from Craiglist ads became victims of abuse, my pleas were dismissed.Last month, a woman in my area (treasure Coast) had 2 dogs that may have ultimately met cruel fate by being "bait dogs". Luckily this was one woman who was very concerned about who would take her dogs and I offered my help to her, and she accepted it. In helping her, I was able to determine the so-called rescue group willing to take her dogs was NOT a rescue

group, but someone 'shopping Craiglist' for Baitdogs. The average person does not know what to look for and what raises "red flags".By allowing "free to good home" ads, you are actually in support of those who hoard, abuse, sell to research labs, and dog fighters.This month, a San Antonio, Texas, man was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly torturing, mutilating, and killing cats he obtained via Craigslist. I ask once again, and this time in unison with thousands of other concerned people, through PETA, to please implement a policy prohibiting ads that give animals away for free. Animals adopted through "free to good home" ads are often placed in extremely dangerous circumstances, where they are neglected, abused, and, in some cases, killed. http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/craigs_list_animals While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth? --George Bernard Shaw http://www.myspace.com/fortheanmals