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Freecycle and giving away free animals

Azraelm

Wise Old Thumper
I e-mailed my local freecycle to say i didnt think it was right that they allowed people to advertsie animals free to a good home, and got a response saying they send the letter below to each person who puts an animal on.
i still think its a shame they allow it, but I was impressed with the letter.
(Im not sure they all do this tho.)


"Hello Freecycle Member,

This letter is to aide you in finding the best new home for your pet.

Finding a home is not as simple as the first person who responds to your notification. Unfortunately, that home may not be suitable and only you will know this.

First a warning - If you receive any negative emails, due to your posting, from any member of your Freecycle Group, please forward the entire e-mail to
your Moderator. We need to be aware of any transgression of the etiquette rules.

Here at Freecycle, we understand that you have a large network of people from which to see if you can find a home - within that we ask that you be 100% responsible in placing your cherished pet with a new owner.

Here is the criteria we strongly recommend you follow:

1) Wait at least 48 hours to see all responses to your posting.

2) Then email back each responder and ask them a few questions about their family situation and household situation (such as: How many members are in your family? Have you had pets before? Are you sure there are no allergies to pets?).

3) Then choose which family you will "interview" first.

4) Notify that family and choose a meeting time when all members of the family will be present - take the pet with you - on a leash if appropriate.

5) Go to the house and make sure you look around carefully. (Is there a yard? Is there a fence? Are there other animals - how do they interact? Are there young children - how do they interact? Is this house suitable? Is this family suitable? Also, you need to look around and make a bit of a judgment call on whether or not this person can afford this pet... not everyone should own a pet when there are vet bills involved, especially dogs!).

6) Choose if this is the family for this pet and if not, be gracious in saying, I am sorry I do not think "Buster" would be suited to your family.

7) Try again.

8) Once you find the family, why not try a trial run for a couple days? If he is well adjusting then you know your job is done and if not, then you can try again with a different prospective home.

9) Leave the family your contact information so if they need to have you pull Buster out, then they can reach you. Also leave them the information on the pet's vet of the past and a medical history.

Now, I know this looks like a lot, but it is for the protection of you, your pet and the new family.

All we ask is that you be 100% responsible for the placement of your pet. If you can not take it on this way, then we ask that you contact your local
shelter and allow them to complete the task for you. Most rescues screen homes prior to placement, so they are a viable option.

If your pet is a challenging pet for any reason, please utilize the option of a Rescue group or Shelter right away. DO NOT attempt to find a new home for a pet if it is known to nip, bite or attack in any way. Also this would apply if the animal was caught as a stray. Allow that animal to go to a shelter and be properly assessed and prepared for a new household.

Good luck in your search for a new home - we hope that it is a successful one"
 
How do you join freecycle I've asked loads of time if I can join the wolves one, but they ignore me. I think they must know who I am, I'llbe sending them some abuse soon :lol:
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: You're notorious, even in the world of freecycle! :lol:

Just try again, say you're moving house and want to sell some furniture or something, they'll like you then.
 
mandy said:
:lol: :lol: :lol: You're notorious, even in the world of freecycle! :lol:

Just try again, say you're moving house and want to sell some furniture or something, they'll like you then.

I will try that :thumb:
 
Well this has really annoyed me. I think i will e-mail them again telling them many other groups do not advertise animals at all.
 
I've seen all sorts of animals on the Nottingham one (Hi again Mandy). it makes me so cross, especially now I've got my two gorgeous bunnies. I'm sure they will get tones of abuse though, there are some very millitant Nottingham Freecyclers!
Isabel
 
Gem said:
The Portsmouth one don't allow pets to be homed via them :)

Since when? I emailed the administrator a few months ago to put a disclaimer up with each message as I'd seen them advertising animals.

(copy of my email}

Hi,

I feel I have to complain about the fact you are allowing the
advertising of live animals. I have found out recently that there
are other freecycle groups that allow this. But at least they have
taken a poll on the subject and now have a message pinned to such
posts along the lines of

"Coventry Freecycle recommend that a home visit be carried out
before animals are rehomed. This is to ensure that the animal is to
be going to a suitable environment.
If you are offering a home, then please check that you are satisfied
that the information you have received is correct and that you have
discussed returning the animal if the information supplied has been
misleading. Ask to see the animal in its home environment.
Please report any concerns to the Coventry Freecycle moderators."

I hope you will address my concerns.

Kind Regards

Lucy

Hi Lucy.

A very good point, I will attach the note below from now on to all animal postings.

Note attached by moderator.
Freecycle Portsmouth recommends that a home visit be carried out before animals are rehomed. This is to ensure that the animal is going to a suitable environment. If you are offering a home, then please check that you are satisfied that the information you have received is correct and that you have discussed returning the animal if the information supplied has been misleading.
Ask to see the animal in its home environment.
Please report any concerns to the Freecycle Portsmouth moderator.

Many thanks
Alan Bish
Moderator
Freecycle Portsmouth
www.freecycleportsmouth.co.uk
 
Quite pleased to receive this from Lincoln Freecycle:

The moderators have been discussing the guideline for pet posting and
after considerable thought have come to a decision not to accept this
kind of posting anymore.
The guidelines for the group have been amended to reflect this.
We will also include some new links for rescue/animal centres
 
Diddeen said:
norfolk and norwich freecycle dont allow animals to be listed

True, however, you can still ask for help on the Norfolk freecycle cafe site. This is how Gasket and Tappet came to me, from a lady who had been rescuing bunnies and was having trouble coping. Thankfully she has less now, and does take good care of them, my two are going back to her when I'm on holiday.
 
I joined this Forum to answer this thread.

I am a member of Freecycle and my partner is a moderator of our local group, so I have been looking into this.
It is up to each local Freecycle group to decide their own policies on this issue.
There are plus and minus factors to each argument here but if you need to home or rehome an animal Freecycle gives you access to a large network of local people and you are not asking for money, so its no good for people just looking to make a quick profit. No puppy farms here.

Our local group have chosen not to allow people to Freecycle animals, but to my mind there is no moral difference between rehoming an animal free or selling one.
Either way, if you love your animal you will vet the prospective owner carefully before allowing any move to go through.

Incidentally, in farming communities it is much more common for someone to offer or ask for animals via Freecycle.
 
Pets on Freecycle

I run my local Freecycle group and we do allow pets on the condition that a homecheck is carried out and the pets interests and needs are number one priority.
I offer to help with homechecks if needed and also give people the link to our forum and others too. I have also added a link to this site from our Freecycle cafe too.
I would rather pets go through the Freecycle system than via a postacrd in a shop window with"Free to good home"- chances are you'll never know what happened once the pet left you BUT I believe many members of Freecycle enjoy the community spirit and keep in touch with their pets new family.
I have also taken a copy of the letter on here, from another Freecycle Moderator (as it is not a standard issue) and I shall be tweaking it and sending to anyone wishing to find a new home for their pet.
We do have the animals best interests at heart and whilst we have had opposition from the minority of members, Overall, we have had a pat on the back for caring and going that extra mile in helping the pets find a forever home.

Lyn
 
I agree that its a shame the animals have to be advertised here but when the owners are ignorant of help available to them elsewhere or the rescue centres are full, what else can they do? :?
It sucks that animals have to be advertised but at least this particular freecycle group have sent out imo a good letter to advise the owners on how to find (hopefully) the right home :)
 
I know my freecycle, doesnt accept the sale of animals, the mods on my group seem pretty strict and certainly abide by their own rules, ive even been told more than once I'm a newbie and have to advertise offereds before wants....so I've got no complaints here...

I think though however being such a national thing something should be done to try and persuade as many groups as possible to stop the placing of offered animals on their websites.
 
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