Op-Ed: "Dog Flipping" is an Awful Practice

Dog flipping flies in the face of those who are trying to make the world better for pets. It is a practice that is harming animals, and not only those who are considered direct victims. Like most everything in the animal abuse world, the act of dog flipping carries ramifications that could affect the entire shelter system and pet population.

Though it may be an assumption, I would argue that those looking for pets in the places that bidders are willing and able to sell them, such as Craigslist, are most likely not the most educated pet owners (or potential pet owners). Without a proper education on the adoption process and an education as to how to care properly for a pet, those re-selling the dogs for profit are dooming the dogs in question to an uncertain fate.

What should happen if the owner who buys a resold dog cannot care for them? Or if a dog winds up in the hands of someone known for animal abuse?

The dog in question could wind up abandoned or abused by an owner. If they are lucky enough to make it back to the safe haven of a shelter, then they are right back where they began. Only now, they are certainly taking a spot from another animal in need, since, if due diligence had been done the first time, they would not be back in that situation.

The practice of dog flipping puts pets or potential pets in an inescapable, vicious cycle that puts them at high risk for a low quality of life. While I am all for attempting to prove that shelter pets are worth as much if not more money than pets bought from a store, this simply is not the way to do it.

What do you think about dog flipping and animal abuse? Share your thoughts in a comment.