placing pets

Do you screen pet homes for quality or sell your pets to the first person with money?

And if you do screen the buyers, how do you go about it?

Good question, Maggie!

I do screen all pet buyers. I have a pet rabbit application on my website (which mimics what many dog breeders use), I ask a lot of questions and provide a lot of information in response to their questions. After meeting a pet buyer in person, I take time to answer any of their other questions and quickly go over basic rabbit care. I am also available to take back the rabbit, without compensation, at any time after the sale.

I never sell to someone who doesn't seem like they really care about being a responsible pet owner.

I've been doing pet sales for three years.

I normally do first come, first served. I have on two separate occasions simply raised the price of a given bunny to more than I knew the person would pay. That way they save face (from me saying NO, I won't sell you a bunny), and I give them more time to research having a bunny (which I encourage them to do by walking them through bunny care needs, referring them to my rabbit care page, and showing them my easy to read bunny book). I have turned down one sale. Three year old owner, inattentive mommy. I phrased it in such a way that the bunny was just too skittish for her daughter and she might want to find a bunny elsewhere (and yes, I made the bunny seem skittish). She went elsewhere, and two months later I got a bunny that wasn't originally mine given to me to rehome. Poor thing needed a month to chill out.

I've sold a number of bunnies to first time owners... but I do my level best to educate them. MOST of my sales come from...my friend has a bunny and I took care of it for a weekend and now I want one. The longer I'm in business the more word of mouth business I'm getting. I'm getting known for selling well-socialized bunnies.

My general opinion is that first time owner or not....if people want a bunny, they can buy a bunny from me. I will ALWAYS take a bunny back, I'll even take bunnies that aren't mine in. Some will be rehomed for a small fee, and some will become a meal for something/one.

I do not screen, I sell to whomever has the money, unless I do not want that particular person to have my lines. If I feel that I'm going to have a difficult time allowing a particular rabbit to go then I simply don't sell it, it stays here. I do have favorites, but worrying about where every single rabbit goes is a luxury I can't afford, realized that a long time ago. I sell mostly to other breeders, so I do not have a handout or try to educate them, except for kids. I will take any rabbits back, but they go directly to the auction and are not put back in the population, except for rare breeds. I do sell to one pet store, and may be selling to TSC this year. I prefer not to deal with the pet buying public directly, would rather send rabbits to auction then to have someone come here and drive me nuts.

I screen

how do you screen brody?

you really want to know?
remeber this is adoption not sale so the money piece is not where I start from...

usually people find me via email (or at big adoption events) so we have a little back and forth where we exchange some basic info either via email or face to face- mainly my goal here is determining how educable and stable the people are

then people complete an adoption application - which is mainly determined to determine of the species and individual is the best fit for the family

after that point some people are approved right off .. others have a vet reference or landlord reference done ... some I actually offer to deliver the pet which gives me one final out

my goal is to put as many animals in homes as possible with as few returns as possible ... I am pretty open to adoption for most people but lots of times especially now with petfinder people fall in love with a picture not with a personality - my job as I see it is to help people recognize when they are doing that and pick a better fitting animal

seems crazy huh?

I have a contract that I have made up that goes over the basic care of the rabbit, (how they are raised here, and other info etc). I then state my policies and sale information. They have to sign the contract (signaure and printed name)and also state the breed, the gender, variety, and purpose of the rabbit. As well as the date, which I'll keep in my records. If that doesn't scare them off I don't know what will lol.

I hate to say this but I think there are way more ethical breeders/people rehoming pets than there are actual "ethical" pet purchasers!Almost everyone here is very ethical with placement but we still have huge numbers in rescues! That is why I don't support the selling of pets in petstores where they become impulse buys; sold by people who literaly know nothing, but just want a sale.Most just want something for the attention it gets them and when the novelty wears off its dumped. We never breed for pets here just show stock,BUT that doesn't mean our animals are ignored or mistreated, just the opposite. We never breed if we are not prepared to look after that animal period.We do advertise to other breeders and occassionally have one thats only "pet" quality.If no one suitable wants it it stays here or is culled.The majority of people contacting us only have questions about how much money can you make selling them. I say its takes years of being a trusted ethical breeder and even then you might make enough to cover feed. Never hear from them again...I think in this recession the pet market animals suffer greatly, that is why we have shifted our focus more to meat production where cute and cuddly is way down the list of meat qualities.I also seriously disagree with the Humane Societies `rescuing``meat rabbits and trying to adopt them out as pets to the general public.They are for meat and they may not be used to being in a home with kids and end up scratching or biting. This also gives the real pet rabbits a bad name. As ladysown has said she has spent a lot of time to get a well socialized rabbit including selectively breeding for friendliness.Not all are suited to pet homes.And not all people are suited to pets! It can very frustrating to try and get a handle on a prospective buyer and find out you were very wrong in your opinion of them..its the reason I stopped showing my Jack Russells and breeding them :x :x anyways thats a bit of a rant and `pet`` peeve I have that the onus is on the seller and not much blame is put on the buyer who ultimately is the one who decides on the purchase and then on the dumping!!! There is tons of info out there and we can talk till we are blue in the face.......but in the end how much influence did we have?

I totally agree. Which is why I implemented a lifetime return policy.

brody, yes, I really did want to know.

I NEED Ginger to go to a new home. I NEED the cage space desparately now, and she's a stressor right now that I don't need and dealing with her the way I normally do with stock that I can't rehome by the time I need to I just can't do right now.

SO...I'm need to figure out if I can even get her down to you. I like this rabbit so I want her to find a good home. Normally around here ... free rabbits mean food for another critter and I'm just not ready to let her go for that.

I hear you lady - you are around London somewhere? I can put the word out and see if any of my drivers (yah - I have drivers! LOL- too bad they don't drive me) are heading that way on any other journeys

yes I'm near London. 40 minutes from it, but right now I'm going to London daily for a couple hours at a time, so ..... if we can work it, it'd be lovely. THANKS.

I'm off to bed now.

sleep tight and I'll put the word out<br /><br />__________ Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:58 am __________<br /><br />nothing in the immediate future going from you to me
hang in there

space just got tighter....rescued a harle type doe from an idiot (see venting room)