Unwanted pups .. Sell them on Gumtree ..think again !!!!! Graphic Story be warned

So , I know there are a lot of people that read our forum as well as people that post on our forum. I picked up on this story , which is pretty horrific and distressing from another members post this morning. This is a perfect example from a sellers point of view what can happen when you try and rehome a dog or sell unwanted pups, or even for some people selling bred planned litters on sites like Gumtree
Please remember stories like this when you are thinking of selling / buying animals in this way this is what you could possibly be promoting.

Please read the full post from our member here - but it is very distressing

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t23507-scumbag

The court heard Deakin and his girlfriend Sarah Tame, 19, had taken ownership of Tyson just days before the attack after answering an advert on classifieds website Gumtree in May last year.
At around 3am, he struck the dog around 20 times on the head with a hammer. No explanation was given in court. Three hours later, Deakin woke and noticed the dog had urinated on his bed.

'This was an absolutely heinous crime against an innocent animal who had done nothing wrong other than suffer the misfortune of being taken into that flat,' she said.

'In four years as an inspector this is without a doubt the worst attack on an animal I have encountered.

'Almost as soon as Tyson arrived in the flat a pattern of abuse which amounted to torture began.

'It is a concern that animals are being so easily given away online, seemingly without any checks.

I think Gumtree should be forced to amend their rules to make the sale of pets/animals not allowed.

This might be worth signing

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34522

Regards

Simon

I have just contacted Gumtree customer support with a copy of the story attached asking that the stop the advertisment of pets/animals

Regards

Simon

I had already signed this petition, hope it can do some good like banning the sale of animals in this way completely.

Surely Sellers have a responsibility aswell though. not to tell to chavs.
there is precautions you can take.
* Ask the Buyer Questions to test his knowledge on looking after dogs.
* Ask the Buyer what his intentions of the dog is for.
* Visit the Buyers home to see if its suitable for a dog.
buy visiting the home you can see how the buyer looks after him self if he cant look after him self he wont be able look after a dog.

If a buyer turns up in his best track suite and looks like your typical k**b then find another buyer. i hate how chavs use staffys as a fashion statement and give staffys a bad name.

Stokester wrote:Surely Sellers have a responsibility aswell though. not to tell to chavs.
there is precautions you can take.
* Ask the Buyer Questions to test his knowledge on looking after dogs.
* Ask the Buyer what his intentions of the dog is for.
* Visit the Buyers home to see if its suitable for a dog.
buy visiting the home you can see how the buyer looks after him self if he cant look after him self he wont be able look after a dog.

If a buyer turns up in his best track suite and looks like your typical knob then find another buyer. i hate how chavs use staffys as a fashion statement and give staffys a bad name.

Good Idea but these people are motivated by money not what is best for the animal.

The only real way to do it is stop sites like Gumtree being able to advertise pets/animals on the basis that the checks and responsibility is just not there.

Regards

Simon

Selling of pups should be regulated, breeders should be regulated , gumtree , pets 4 homes etc should be banned

Simples !!

my petition never came through yet

This is quite frankly the pretty lame responce from Gumtree

Maybe we should petition PAAG

Hello,

We understand and appreciate your concerns about ads in the pets for sale section.

Our Pets category provides a way for people looking to re-home pets to connect
with those looking to offer them loving homes. Every week thousands of animals
are safely re-homed.

In offering this category we have always kept the utmost focus on animal
welfare. We have many measures in place to enforce our policies which prohibit
irresponsible and harmful practices. These measures include: automated
filtering technology that is constantly updated and at the moment undergoing a
further major upgrade, a community reporting system to immediately alert us to
issues and a dedicated Pets team manning these channels 365 days a year and
taking swift action. We also constantly remind and educate everyone who uses
the Pets category on responsible welfare practices across many points of the
site with guidance directly from the RSPCA and other members of PAAG.

Unfortunately we know that there continue to be animal welfare issues across
the UK. As the Gumtree site is used by more and more people in the UK we know
we must not only continue our existing efforts to protect animals, but add even
further scrutiny. We work in partnership with the PAAG organisation for guidance on how we
can improve our site in relation to animal welfare.

We remain determined to ensure that everyone using the Pets category
responsibly re-homes pets, and that the unscrupulous and irresponsible few are
prohibited.

Thanks,
Gary
Gumtree.com

We can but try !! I see their point with the fact that they can only keep checking , but if they made the move to not trade in pets in te first place it would help out loads

The incident we are talking about here is not the first time this has happened and Gumtree have been involved

The argument I would put forward is as follows.

Gumtree have guidelines for sellers - These are just that, Guidelines and un policeable.

As the agency that is allowing the advert then ultimate responsibility lies with them. You can have all the guidelines you want, people won't follow them and therefore as Gumtree are unable to police the system then they should be stopped from being able to offer that service.

Where a sale like this goes bad and results in court action there should be a financial penalty applied to the agency carrying the advert. That would get them thinking

Regards

Simon

maybe having a license for pets would be a safe measure aswell. to get your licence you cnt have criminal records ect.
as far as breeding goes sometime you have puppys un expected and they cant be regulated.

you should have to have a license and they should me stricter punishments for abuses and offenders.

I agree, the dog licence should bought back and be mandatory with clauses regarding ownership.

And also I think compulsary micro chipping would be a good idea.

There may be some who don't agree and I respect your opinions.

Regards

Simon

Well if your going to be a good owner and responsible then there is nothing to worry about.
Micro Chipping is always good because if your dog escapes youve got more chance of getting him back.
There is some terrible people that are allowed to own dogs and there is no control over it. people get bans but there is nothing to re enforce that. it should be compulsory to have a license and to carry it on you when walking dogs that way police ad other agencies can do spot checks and banned owners can be controlled. when people get bnned from owning dogs 90% of the time nobody knows about it and police dont know. theres no way to know if the person walking there dog past you is allowed pets or not.

Stokester wrote:

If a buyer turns up in his best track suite and looks like your typical k**b then find another buyer. i hate how chavs use staffys as a fashion statement and give staffys a bad name.

I have a shaven head, wear nothing but trackies and a hoodie when I'm not in work, get stopped regularly by the police and customs for looking like a wrong'un, but *think* I do an alright job looking after, training, and fostering dogs.
Less of the stereotyping would be a good start.

Working dog wrote:

Stokester wrote:

If a buyer turns up in his best track suite and looks like your typical k**b then find another buyer. i hate how chavs use staffys as a fashion statement and give staffys a bad name.

I have a shaven head, wear nothing but trackies and a hoodie when I'm not in work, get stopped regularly by the police and customs for looking like a wrong'un, but *think* I do an alright job looking after, training, and fostering dogs.
Less of the stereotyping would be a good start.

Ah well you see you need to complete that look, I live in jeans and hoodies and have very short hair too

You need at least one earring, some tatoos up the arms, a spiders web tatoo on the neck and a white T shirt with a nice big fat gold chain around the neck.

Regards

Simon

Ok maybe the flip side here, and please nobody yell at me, throw things, or kick me out... and I am ***devastated*** by the thought of the news story above, the guy who tortured Tyson deserves an inexplicably painful rest of his pathetic life and death.

BUT... I bought Jellybean from a guy who posted an advert on gumtree. We drove out to see him, her parents, and have a chat. His dogs were happy and healthy, Jelly was of course GORGEOUS, the cutest little pup I had ever seen and he was a lovely man.

To be honest, above all, I wanted her PRECISELY to avoid her ending up in the wrong hands, whether that was in a cage at Battersea, which wouldn't have been the end of the world but not ideal, but especially because, given the area he lived in, the likelihood of her being bought by someone horrendous was VERY high. Not to come off as all sanctimonious or haughty, but I sort of felt like I was rescuing her, even if as a pre-caution, even if she wasn't a Battersea rescue dog.

So there are good gumtree stories out there too. I realize the majority may not be such happy endings and I'm not trying to pick a fight or quibble, but just saying... In a way, it's a little sad that gone are the days when people could just post a sign out on the lawn, Puppies for Sale, or even for free and a nice family would take them home and live happily ever after. That's all gumtree really is, but in the end, the checking up, the reassurance, certainly is lacking. That's very sad.

I'm doing everything I can to give my girl the best life she can have, though. And trust me, she is lapping it up!!


My 2 cents, for what it's worth.

Working dog wrote:

Stokester wrote:

If a buyer turns up in his best track suite and looks like your typical k**b then find another buyer. i hate how chavs use staffys as a fashion statement and give staffys a bad name.

I have a shaven head, wear nothing but trackies and a hoodie when I'm not in work, get stopped regularly by the police and customs for looking like a wrong'un, but *think* I do an alright job looking after, training, and fostering dogs.
Less of the stereotyping would be a good start.

Im sure you dont tuck your socks up over your tackies. or have your underwear pulled up high.
and you dnt talk lyk diz man. so im sure your very normal

Ugh, I hate gumtree for precisely this reason. You can talk to the potential new owners and ask as many questions as you like, they could lie through their teeth. The fact is, you never know who is getting their hands on your dog/pup. The same can be said for breeders though, but at least most breeders have a contract, keep the microchip in their name and do far more extensive check than a gumtree seller does.

Dave wrote:Selling of pups should be regulated, breeders should be regulated , gumtree , pets 4 homes etc should be banned

Simples !!

Sorry but i do not agree with you on the pets 4 homes should be banned, if i didn't check that website i would not be with my lovely marley at the moment!! sorry i hate to dis-agree plus i got him for my 18th and i can't be happier i have always wanted a dog! Marley is my first dog! because my mum finally agreed with my councilor that i needed responsibility in my life and i should get a dog after everything i have been through i would never hit or batter or put my dog in to fighting, I live in birkenhead and when i see lad's on the woodchurch beating and fighting two red staffies it knock's me sick! thankfully them dog's have been took off them now!

kirsty-marley-1 wrote:

Dave wrote:Selling of pups should be regulated, breeders should be regulated , gumtree , pets 4 homes etc should be banned

Simples !!

Sorry but i do not agree with you on the pets 4 homes should be banned, if i didn't check that website i would not be with my lovely marley at the moment!! sorry i hate to dis-agree plus i got him for my 18th and i can't be happier i have always wanted a dog! Marley is my first dog! because my mum finally agreed with my councilor that i needed responsibility in my life and i should get a dog after everything i have been through i would never hit or batter or put my dog in to fighting, I live in birkenhead and when i see lad's on the woodchurch beating and fighting two red staffies it knock's me sick! thankfully them dog's have been took off them now!

The thing is Kirsty , these 2 sites have absolutely nothing in place to look after the health and well being of the pups being sold. Obviously you are a good owner and take your time to find out about your pup and their needs etc and value your pup, hence coming here with us. Generally , and I mean generally , Gumtree and Pets 4 homes are havens for backyard breeders with no scruples who will sell a pup to anybody without checking anything and no doubt these 2 lads you talk about here , I wouldn't be surprised if that's where they got their pups from or maybe from facebook

I got Tilly from a small ad , I think it may have been pets 4 homes , I honestly can't remember and yes , without that ad I wouldn't have the most precious thing to come into my life in the last few years. BUT after spending a lot of time on here I realise we fell victim to all the classic signs of Back Yard Breeding and it seems that we escaped with a beautiful pup when it could have gone oh so wrong. From then on I realised how wrong these practises are, and the only breeding that should be done is by registered breeders , enforcing all the neccessary health checks and for the good of the breed.

I paid double for Tommy as I did for Tilly but money is not important , what is important is that I haven't funded a BYB to encourage them that their practice is profitable and that they should do it again.

There are many people that have bought their pups on here from similar sites and I bet if you made a poll they wouldn't do it again, either from education on the forum or worse that they have suffered many problems as a result of the origins of the pup. Things like health problems, being coerced into taking pups from the breeder at 5 weeks old because " mum had rejected them ", pups that will be classed as type because they have no papers, staffs that aren't staffs etc

True dave, i only paid 210 for my pup because he was the last of the litter and they said he was hard to get rid of which annoyed me so much because he was so cute and lovely!.

Thank god he hasn't had any problem's with his health tho, only when he got attacked but that is understandable.

I just wish people wouldn't fight them

I know it sounds sometimes like we go on the attack , but really just spend a good while on here and experience all the stories that are ultimately a direct result of bad breeding and bad selling practices, we really do only have the dog's interest at heart

I have to say I have no experience of anyone trying to fight their dogs , just local chavs trying their best to be tough with the dogs

Oh god you wouldn't want to see people trying to dog fight them, excuse my language but it pee's me off! i feel like getting out the car and kicking there head's in i couldn't care less about them but that staffies shouldn't have to go through it i just watched a documentary called "off the chain" and it was about people dog fighting pitbulls in the UK and they were saying it's like humans boxing no one get's hurt.... I felt sick to my stomach!!!!!! I had my baby lieing on me at the time and just cuddled into him thinking how people could actually do that and say they care for the dog's? like hell they do!

Off the chain is nothing comapred to the BBC doc called Dog-Fighting Undercover.... that had me in tears... and worst of all... it was in the Uk AND FINLAND

I know i have also seen that one, it had me in tear's aswell with what he did to the loosing dog, sick twisted people. It was mostly in liverpool wasn't it? and to think i live just over the water! if i ever take my dog to liverpool i will never ever leave him alone or let anyone near him!

we spent a couple of months looking for a staffy pup, and most of the ads on gumtree pets 4 homes etc are basically puppy farms , we got replies saying the pup would be delivered by courier from scotland (even though the advert stated "pups for sale west mids" i reported 4 such adverts and to be fair they got back to me and confirmed the farms, and said they would no longer take ads of these people (until they change there i.d. haha )
we brought noah from a family in wolves and are glad we never went down the courier service route.

astubliffhacked wrote:we spent a couple of months looking for a staffy pup, and most of the ads on gumtree pets 4 homes etc are basically puppy farms , we got replies saying the pup would be delivered by courier from scotland (even though the advert stated "pups for sale west mids" i reported 4 such adverts and to be fair they got back to me and confirmed the farms, and said they would no longer take ads of these people (until they change there i.d. haha )
we brought noah from a family in wolves and are glad we never went down the courier service route.

Thanks for sharing your experience , sure there are many more on here that can tell a few stories. Thing is there are probably a few genuine people on there that are just very naive but there is no way of whittling these people out so for me ban the sites completely