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Post by Aussienot on Jan 30, 2007 3:57:12 GMT -5
You will probably think I've lost the plot, but perhaps I've had a glimpse into the future today. We had an email to the shelter about a dog for adoption displayed on our website. The email, paraphrased, was this: ' Hi, saw Billy on the web and love him. Can I Bpay (on-line direct deposit) and have you post him to me? Love, Tayla'
So basically she wanted to order a dog on-line, and have it home delivered sight unseen. Just like buying a sweater off ebay.
I wrote back along the lines of ' you have to meet the dog in person to know if the personality and energy level is going to match your lifestyle." I'll probably never hear from her again, and for a while I laughed it off.
But the more people I talked to about it, the more people went 'Hummm, is that the way of the future?' As teens have increasingly grown up on a click and buy world, are her expectations unreasonable?- or the start of a new trend.
Services like Petfinder fuel the dogs-as-an internet-commodity mindset. Would an internet ordered home delivery service of adoptable dogs help increase happily everafters? Note: Any spelling mistakes in this message are Sweeper's fault.
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Post by Richard on Jan 30, 2007 7:40:41 GMT -5
I am all for furthering e-commerce and what it can do to make our lives easier but......
I'm glad you wrote back and told her that she would have to meet the dog first before you'd consider giving him up.
There are just some things that can't be sold over the internet and to me, dogs/cats are one of them. Somehow, it just doesn't seem right and in this case it's pure convenience but the wrong kind!!
Even if I was a breeder, I'd still insist on seeing and talking with the people who were interested in my dogs before I'd let them out the door with one. The same goes for the job that Linda does, I'd rather see and talk with the potential new owner before I'd let one of my animals out the door - for my piece of mind mostly!
No, in this case, I'd dig my heels in [and go against technology] and tell the person the same thing, "we're open from 730am to 800pm Monday to Friday and from 9 to 5 on Saturday, you can drop in any time to see Billy and speak with our adoption staff - we look forward to seeing you soon!".
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Post by Laura on Jan 30, 2007 11:38:48 GMT -5
Linda, did you get a follow up from that person? Only because now rescues and shelters are getting hit with the Nigerian scam nonsense, just with a new spin on it . It goes something like this... "Hi, I really fell in love with Soandso's pic on your website, can I direct deposit his adoption fee and have him (shipped, picked up, have roller skates strapped on him) and sent/transported my way?" Shelter then gets account cleaned out and/or gets sent the bogus bank check from adopter, yada, yada, yada. If that is not the case, and it is what it seems, while the internet can be a great tool for research, when it comes to animals and their welfare, it's not the place to sell companion pets. Because the 'net has made it so easy to purchase a puppy from any BYB, it's also made the shelters full of these dogs, because most people who buy something with that kind of speed and convenience will usually also dump said animal with the same speed when little Foofoo doesn't come housebroken out of the box. Plus, let's face it, most people who "buy" on the internet also like the thrill of getting something new and shiny, something that a shelter pup is not in many peoples eyes (but to me they're all brand spankin' new, everyday makes them newer ;D). And the best reason it wouldn't fly is the very reason you stated to the gal who inquired initially, she might be looking for a couch potato, and Sparky might be a marathoner.
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Post by Aussienot on Feb 2, 2007 16:45:14 GMT -5
I never suspected it could be a scam. There was no reply, so maybe that was the real motive.
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Post by Dom on Feb 5, 2007 9:39:00 GMT -5
I heard something about this kind of scam. They actually never intend to send money. They just want you to give them your account number so they can access it or print out bogus checks with your account number to use in future scams. Either way, the account balance turns to zero or negative before you know it. If the offer was legit, I still think it is a horrible way to purchase a dog. I have purchased items from the internet and sometimes that hasn't work out. I wouldn't dream of getting a dog sight unseen. My husband and I went to the shelter for 2 months looking for the "right" dog that would get along with Sadie. In the end, we got Elsie from our next door neighbors. They always got along so I am glad we waited it out and didn't jump at just any dog we saw. I swear, people now-a-days. The internet is great for researching but it also gives people immunity to behave badly.
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