‘Free to a good home’ has its price

Over the past few weeks, the plight of several abused kittens — one tossed out a window onto the Mississippi River Bridge and the others used as pit bull bait — has exposed the reality of animal cruelty in the city. Sadly, pet owners giving away animals in local parking lots and “free to good home” listings in the want ads provide an invitation for abusers to looking for a victim. What could be easier than responding to these ads that ran in a local newspaper?

FAT & FLUFFY. Free kittens, 13 wk. old, many colors. Call…..

7 Mos old puppy. Has all shots. Free to good home. 225-…..

Free pretty blk, mixed lab, 1+ Female. Very gentle & sweet…..

“I think a lot of people who place those ads are good people wanting to do right,” says Capital Area Welfare Society President Jolene Allbright. “They don’t realize there are bad people out there who are looking to harm the animals. I think (rescue groups) have to warn people to be suspicious — particularly if someone wants more than one animal.”

For owners of unwanted litters or pets, the options are admittedly limited. While most people who answer a “free to good home” ad are looking for a family pet, there is the risk of releasing an animal to a crafty abuser — especially a pit bull trainer. “Clearly, there is no easy solution,” says Hilton Cole, director of East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control. “(To discourage abusers from responding to ads), you can attach some minimum cost, but it’s up to the (owners) to screen. They need to be very, very careful.” For tips on screening potential adopters, click here .

“The second (option) is private search,” Cole says. “You can check with Animal Control or humane societies that usually remain completely full. But the reality is there are too many animals and not enough homes.”

While some rescue group volunteers scan their area’s ads and warn unsuspecting owners of the danger, others have taken another proactive approach. The first priority for owners with unwanted litters is to make sure all pets are spayed or neutered to prevent future problems.

These days, money is no longer a barrier for low-income pet owners or even individuals who feed the neighborhood strays. After years of offering low-cost vouchers, CAAWS, Cat Haven and LSU Veterinary School host spay days twice a month for a nominal fee. Since 2006, Spay Baton Rouge has provided low-cost services to qualified residents of East Baton Rouge Parish. A corps of volunteer veterinarians as well as one part-time staff veterinarian have spayed more than 3,800 and avoided an estimated 19,000 unwanted pets. Each organization also offers assistance to trap, spay and neuter feral cat colonies. In fact, many of these organizations will help owners spay/neuter litters before placing them in new homes.

As these organizations know, it’s easy to find someone to take a free pet, but assuring a pet goes to a truly good home is not so easy. Allowing a pet to leave in the arms of an unknown adopter can create not only dire consequences for the animal but deadly ones.

And maybe the message is finally getting through. In last Sunday’s paper, an owner posted this revolutionary ad:

1 yr female Schnauzer, spayed, housetrained, leashed trained, kennel included. Indoor home only. Serious inquiries only. Applicants will be screened…..

Click here for this week’s Creature Feature.

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Besides her 20 years of experience as an editor and writer, Adrian E. Hirsch is a charter board member of Spay Baton Rouge, a non-profit that spays/neuters feral cats and the pets of low-income residents to stem overpopulation; the Baton Rouge coordinator of Gulf South Golden Retriever Rescue, a non-profit that rescues golden retrievers from shelters and owners, fosters and finds permanent homes for the dogs; and (along with her twin daughters) a member of Tiger HATS, an LSU Veterinary School service organization that offers animal-assisted therapy. Experiences at LSU Parker Coliseum and Lamar Dixon Expo Center following hurricanes Katrina and Rita motivated her to receive evacuation training from the Louisiana State Animal Response Team. The Hirsch family includes two rescued golden retrievers and a rescued Himalayan cat and frequently hosts armadillos, raccoons, turtles, hawks, snakes and other wildlife that visit from the neighboring swamp.