I got this gentle correction and suggestion from Bambi, a DOG TALK® listener who had brought to my attention that Petfinder.com has been infiltrated by puppy mill producers claiming the dogs are “for adoption” but at a very high fee (i.e. they are selling them). But Bambi wrote this so that in my zeal to expose the “puppy mill pimps” on the Internet that I did not paint all of PetFinder with the same brush. I stand corrected and hope people will continue to look for their new best four-legged friends on the petfinder.com website.
I urge you to re-address the petfinder issue both on your show and on your website. I found the notice about some kerry blues dogs coming from puppy mills only once and when searching for a kerry blue rescue in Texas for a friend. I actually look at petfinder quite often when I fantasize about a companion for Terrible Bean. You’ll never find such a warning on craigslist, of course, or any other places that less streetwise folks may be vulnerable to.
When I mentioned that warning on the kerry blue page, I took it as a positive thing, that petfinder does want to bring awareness up, unlike some other pet source venues.
You’ve played such an important part already in doing this and I hope you will once again remind listeners/readers that caveat emptor is a universal concept and that petfinder is actually one of the few places trying to police itself against any unsavory postings.
As written, your post now may be interpreted as if petfinder itself, one of the most powerful places for fosters and shelters to come together to find homes for unwanted pets and farm animals, may be corrupt and this may have a detrimental affect on placing adoptable animals.
You have such a powerful voice, you are a market maker, if you will, as much as an announcer on CNBC relaying financial and investment information. So many of us rely on you for bringing us such incredibly interesting and useful, often critical, information, and I thank you for that.
Please reconsider how this particular information is projected/worded.
As always, thank you for being our animals’ and our best friend!
–Bambi
Tags: petfinder, puppy mills