Craigslist Pet Overload

Lately there have been an abundance of critters in need of a home for the holidays on Craigslist.com. Due to the dwindling economy and job loss people can no longer afford to feed their family friends and this is taking a toll on many animal shelters and animals in need of a good home. Many animals advertised on the List are in flux between foster to foster just so they don't get stuck in a kill only shelter and euthanized. Fosters are having a hard time helping out kittens and dogs with pet food and vet visits on the rise.

Due to lack of health care these animals are often given what little food and water people can give them, but are left on the street if not claimed on Craigslist. This leads to overpopulation especially on behalf of the cat and kitten population which is the most represented pet for adoption on the list. Many low income apartments were people must move due to their dwindling salaries do not allow pets or cannot give them the amenities and space they require. Among the leading causes for adopting out an animal are moving as well as no longer having the ability to give the animal the attention it deserves due to work constraints.

This holiday we are all trying to get along with budgets that can make due and taking that special critter into our lives isn't feasible either because we can't afford it or we already have one tagged up on Craigslist. For every one animal I see a day on that list, there are at least two more of the same type the next day. People keep posting in hopes that someone will care and they can pawn off their furry loved one. What people don't understand is its no longer about caring but rather it's about how one can feed and love the animals we already have we can't afford to pay our own rent. I'm sick of seeing pawned off puppies as Christmas presents sitting on the list like cocker spaniels and huskies, dogs that normally people would kill for as the breeders are expensive. The average toy dog that you can carry around in your pocket is advertised all over Craigslist as they need a lot of space and time most often, two things that are in serious decline.

So every day I check the list and every day I grow a little more depressed because it's no longer about if you care, if you have the time, if you donate money. The animals really are in trouble and for once there aren't enough people to save them all. Factors such as allergies take these animals out of shelters and put them right back in the system online when they find out accidentally that their young child is allergic. There are so many animals we can no longer afford to play with the idea of adoption or take home a kitten to foster lightly. Animals are no longer the care free Christmas present they once were in classic movies with the tiny puppy with a bow around its neck, Craigslist shows that in its plethora of advertisements for home and love. At this point I think it's best to do as Bob Barker is famous for saying "don't forget to spay and neuter your animals" and for the holiday, don't shop lightly when it comes to your pets.