Pets should not be 'Freecycled'
As the economy gets more complicated, and people look for ways to save money, Freecycle has increased in popularity.
As its homepage announces, The Freecycle Network is made up of 4,676 groups with 6,413,000 members across the globe. It's a grass roots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns.
It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer. Membership is free. Freecycle is sponsored, in part, by Waste Management.
It's an admirable way to reduce landfill and connect people who "have" with people who "need."
We've participated in various Lake County Freecycle groups for about two years. However, as stated in it's FAQ's, each moderator is allowed to determine (supposedly with group input) whether pets are allowed to be posted or "offered" on individual Freecycle groups. It's been a two-year "pet" project of mine to change this. Pets do not fit into the stated goal, and the risks far outweigh the benefits.
You can do your part by contacting your local Freecycle group and speaking against this, sending your thoughts to Waste Management or signing various petitions out there on the Web.
The sad fact is there are unscrupulous people out there. There is dog fighting in Lake County. There are people who mean well, but are not cut out to adopt pets, regardless of their "source." Please do your part!
Sarah Decker
Grayslake