Tips for Pet Owners-To-Be

Here are a few things you should know before getting a pet:

• How to choose your pet
• Why buying local is best
• Who to buy your pet from
• What questions to ask
• How to know if your pet is healthy
• How to complete the transaction
• Before making your final decision
• Local purchases
• National purchases
• Payment tips
• Reporting problems

Tips for Pet Breeders and Sellers

Here are a few things you should know to find successful homes for your pets:

• Create a complete LiveDeal listing
• Consider who the right buyer for your pet is
• Be ready to answer questions
• Help ensure a smooth transition

Tips for shelters and rescue organizations

Here are ways shelters can leverage LiveDeal to find more local homes for pets:

• How LiveDeal can help shelters
• How to get started
• Additional LiveDeal benefits for shelters

 

Tips for Pet Owners-To-Be

Pet ownership is a wonderful and rewarding experience, but the decision to bring a pet into your home should not be made lightly. Give some thought as to what the best pet for your family and housing situation might be before making your purchase. Below are some thoughts that may help you in making a decision that you will be happy with both now and in the long term.

How to choose your pet

Different animals have different temperaments and needs. Be sure to understand what is involved in caring for your animal and how well that animal will fit into your home. For example, is the animal good with children? If you live in a small apartment, how much space does the animal require? If you are at work all day, how much attention does the animal need? Does it need a companion? How much does the food, cage/bedding, supplies, and grooming/vet visits for the animal cost?

If you are unsure, you can find the answers to these questions with a little research at the public library, or by visiting the club websites for the specific breeds you are considering or the larger organizations such as the American Kennel Club for dogs and the Cat Fanciers' Association for cats. Here are a couple helpful links to learn about the personalities, histories, and characteristics of various breeds:

• DOGS: The American Kennel Club: http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/find_breed.cfm
• CATS: The Cat Fanciers' Association: http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html

Why buying local is best

It' s best to buy your pet locally if possible for a number of reasons. Buying a pet is not at all like buying merchandise. It is a long-term commitment. Choosing the right pet for you depends on much more than breed or appearance, so it is important that you make your decision carefully. Beyond understanding breed characteristics and commitment needed, meeting a pet in person is the best way to discover if there is a good personality match for you and the animal.

However, if you discover a seller is fraudulent or raising animals in unsanitary or unhealthy conditions, please notify LiveDeal so that we may record the problem with the seller and suspend the accounts of offenders. Equally important, please report your concerns directly to your local Humane Society. They may be able to send Animal Welfare Officers to the facility to investigate and take action to protect the animals.

You will also meet the breeder or owner and see the condition that the animal is being raised in. This will help you make a good decision that you will be happy with and, if a problem should arise later, it will be much easier to resolve problems with a local breeder than one that is thousands of miles away.

Who to buy your pet from

You have two main choices - you can buy your pet from a breeder who lists their animals in the For Sale category or you can choose a pet from the Adoption category or a shelter/rescue organization.

For many people, purchasing a pet from an ethical breeder is the best choice. Breeders offer the advantages of making it possible for new pet owners to select a pet of a particular breed and whose lineage, health, and training are known. This provides new owners with greater predictability for their pet's behavior and appearance. The breeder's experience, knowledge, and reputation can help you make a good decision, and often, become a resource to you after you have brought the animal home. Ideally, you find a local breeder and can visit to both meet the animals and see how they are being raised.

The adoption category is the place to go if you are looking to help out one of the many animals looking for homes. There are many good companion animals available and some come from homes whose circumstances have changed and can no longer provide for the animals needs. But often there is less known about the health, temperament, and upraising of these animals, so a face to face meeting is often an important part of the adoption decision process. You can browse the adoption category or search for "Free" or "Free to a good home" in the pets for sale category to find animals in search of a new home.

What questions to ask

Breeders should be able to provide you with testimonials and references from people who have purchased pets from them before. Ask for these and ask the breeder questions about the animal you are considering. If your seller is reluctant to answer questions, this is a warning flag, since reputable sellers provide a lot of information up front and are happy to answer specific questions. For example, the American Kennel Club provides a detailed dog-buying guide with many questions and useful tips.

for adoptions, ask about the history of the animal, it's behavior, and why they are parting with their pet or how the pet was found. Be aware of shipping costs. Most true adoptions will encourage you to pick up the animal, or will charge you actual shipping costs and no more, to help their pet find a new home. See the Humane Society Guide to Pet Adoption for more helpful suggestions: http://www.hsus.org/pets/animal_shelters/

In general, whether purchasing or adopting a pet, there are several questions that are good to ask before making your decision:

• How big will the animal get and how much space/exercise does the animal need?
• How often will the animal need to be groomed or see a vet?
• What potential health problems are common to this type of animal?
• How does the animal get along with children/other animals?
• How long can the animal be left alone at home?
• How much will this pet cost, both initially (purchase price, immunizations) and ongoing (food, supplies, grooming, check-ups)?
• Is the animal pictured the exact one I will get, or will it be one from the same litter, or a similar animal from the same parents as the animal shown?

How to know if your pet is healthy

Nothing is more heartbreaking and financially stressful then discovering just a short time after your pet has come home, that there is something medically wrong with him or her. While there is no way of guaranteeing that your pet is, and will remain, healthy, there are a few precautions you can take before bringing your animal home.

• Check out the feedback of the seller: People who have had transactions with the seller will leave feedback regarding their satisfaction with the pet and transaction.
• Find out what problems are common in your breed: Some breeds are more prone to certain illnesses or genetic disorders. Ask the seller what tests they have run on the animal you are considering buying and its parents.
• Check out the conditions: Healthy animals come from healthy homes. Are the conditions dry, clean, and sanitary? Do the other animals look happy, energetic, and well-fed?
• Call references: Get the names and numbers of pet owners who have purchased from this seller before and ask them how their pet is doing today, and how its health has been since they first brought him or her home.
• Ask a vet: Find out the signs of healthy animal (shiny fur, bright eyes, energetic) as well as the signs of trouble (lethargy, indications of mange, etc.) so that you can assess the animal's health for yourself.
• Put the deal in writing: Reputable breeders will be willing to work with you if problems arise. Spell out in writing specifically what will happen if the animal becomes ill in transit or during the first weeks or months after you receive the animal.

How to complete the transaction

Before you pay: Before you make your decision to purchase a pet from a seller, do watch out for red flags such as:

• Immediate shipping when you provide a credit card number: You should take time to get to know the seller and make sure the seller will still be there after you make your payment.
• High prices which do not necessarily mean high quality: Be sure to do your due diligence described above before making a payment.
• Paperwork (i.e. AKC registration) being sent "later": You should receive the paperwork and/or a contract at the time of purchase to avoid surprises, especially if you intend to show the animal.
• Non-responsive sellers: Sellers should not be reluctant to talk about the pet's health history or to have you visit their facility. They should be open and direct and welcome questions about their animal care and facility.

Local purchases: Once you have made your decision, we at LiveDeal believe that buying items locally - where you can meet the animal, inspect the conditions, meet the seller, and pay at the time of pickup or delivery -- is the surest and safest way to transact.

National purchases : When your pet will need to be shipped to you, we still suggest visiting the breeder, but if you cannot, at the very least, we strongly recommend taking the following measures to ensure that your transaction goes smoothly:

• Use our system: When communicating with sellers on LiveDeal.com always communicate using the "Contact Seller" link on the Item Detail Page. This way, if we are notified of fraudulent seller activity, we will have your contact email and can reach you to provide that information.
• Know what you are buying: The old saying, "Buyer Beware," holds true in any purchasing situation. Before making an offer to a seller, ask them questions. Remember, if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
• Ask for seller's address and telephone number: Call him/her up at a random time to make sure he/she is receiving the calls. Honest sellers should be able to provide this information and having a seller with a registered telephone number will make the seller more traceable and hence less likely to be fraudulent.
• See Payment tips below for cautions and best practices
• Track your pet in transit: Make sure you are familiar with the seller's animal shipper, and that it is a reputable and experienced shipper specializing in animal transport for your particular pet. Make sure you can track and monitor your pet in transit.

Payment tips: Use a payment method with fraud protection:

• We highly advise AGAINST sending payment via wire transfer, Money Gram, or bank transfer because buyers cannot get their money back and sellers cannot be tracked. If you are within the US and must pay by money order, we suggest using a Postal Money Order issued by the US Postal Service, which can be investigated, while other money orders cannot.
• Never send your bank or checking account information to anyone. This information may provide a way for someone to take money directly from your account.
• Credit card is probably the safest: Many credit cards offer a 60-day protection on each sale, or even more protection for online purchases.
• Payment service (such as PayPal) protection is limited: Each payment service has different regulations regarding fraud protection. Contact your preferred payment service to learn what forms of protection they offer.
• Escrow and Cash on Delivery (C.O.D.), offer the most protection: Both escrow (such as escrow.com) and C.O.D. will add costs to a transaction (typically under 10%), but they provide an additional level of protection.

Reporting problems:

Currently there are no regulations governing large scale breeding. There is a bill being considered in Congress that would regulate breeders by requiring commercial breeders for more than six litters of dogs or cats, or more than 25 puppies or kittens a year, to be licensed by the federal Department of Agriculture.

However, if you discover a seller is fraudulent or raising animals in unsanitary or unhealthy conditions, please notify LiveDeal so that we may record the problem with the seller and suspend the accounts of offenders. Equally important, please report your concerns directly to your local Humane Society. They may be able to send Animal Welfare Officers to the facility to investigate and take action to protect the animals.

 

Tips for Pet Breeders and Sellers

Whether you are an experienced breeder or a family who needs to find a home for part of a pet's litter, it is important to take some time to consider the following tips that will help ensure that you find happy, healthy homes for your animals and that you provide prospective pet owners with all the information they will need to make a careful decision when choosing their pet.

Before you list, be responsible.
This should go without saying, but it is very important that you take care to make sure your animals are healthy, social creatures. There are several things you can do to make sure you have healthy animals that will adapt well to their new homes.  The ASPCA provides a ???en_US.criteria_for_responsible_breeding\ ??? which include the following guidelines: make sure you screen for inheritable diseases; understand genetic issues and avoid inbreeding; ensure the highest level of care, exercise, and socialization; never breed extremely young or old animals and never breed animals too frequently; and ensure animals are weaned before placement. Fundamentally, the animals in your care should be considered part of the family and treated as such.

Create a complete LiveDeal listing

To find people interested in your pets, you need to show your animals in their best light. Be sure to include a photo and a complete description of the animal in your listing.

• Your title should include the type of animal (cat, kitten, dog, puppy, snake, etc.), the breed (if known), the age, and gender. Many buyers are looking for a specific type of animal and may search for those attributes so you should include those details to ensure your listing shows up.
• In the description, go into more detail about the size of the animal (now and when full grown), personality, whether the animal is good with children or other pets, particular space and exercise needs, and any information you have about the parentage and health of the animal. The more information you provide up front, the fewer questions you will have to answer later and the more genuinely interested buyers will contact you.
• Include a good photo of just the animal, taken with good lighting, in focus, close-up, and without background clutter. Be sure to specify whether the animal pictured with your listing is the exact one the buyer will get, or if it will be one from the same litter, or a similar animal from the same parents as the animal shown. This will avoid problems and disappointment later.
• To further convey your reputation, consider including a testimonial from a previous buyer or pictures of your home or facility. Your listing on LiveDeal is not just a way to find a home for one animal, but an advertisement for buyers who may not be ready to buy today but may wish to contact you in the future.

Consider who the right buyer for your pet is

To make sure you pet goes to an appropriate home, ask potential pet owners about what they are looking in for in a pet and explain the qualities (good and bad) of your animal to ensure that your animal is a good match for the buyer. Make sure the buyer understands the responsibilities and commitment necessary to raise this animal.

These conversations will not only help the buyer make a good decision, but it will also give you a good sense of whether the buyer will provide a good home for your animal. If possible, also verify the buyer's information. For example, you may feel more confident about the transaction if you give the buyer a quick call back simply to check telephone number they provided you is correct.

Be ready to answer questions

An informed seller is a successful seller. Your openness and thoroughness will instill confidence in your buyers.

• Know the common problems, diseases, and disorders for your breed and be able to explain them, as well as the steps you have taken to ensure the animals you breed are healthy, to prospective buyers. As part of being a careful breeder, be sure you know the health and history of both parents, and try not to breed animals that may pass on genetic disease.
• Find out and share any information you have on the pedigree or lineage of your pet and its parents. An objective evaluation of health of the pets you breed will have more credibility than your own assessment, so have a vet or other expert evaluate your animal.
• Showcase the conditions in your home or facility (show pictures or offer a tour) and discuss how you socialize and train the young animals. Describe how much time, attention, and exercise you provide the individual animal.
• Provide testimonials and references from people who have purchased pets from you before, so prospective buyers can find out how the transaction went and how the animal is doing several months after the owner brings him or her home.
• Encourage the new owners to have their pets spayed or neutered. As a breeder you can require this by contract if you choose and this prevents irresponsible or accidental breeding.
• Encourage new owners to register their animal with a National Registry, such as the nonprofit registry run by the American Kennel Club (AKC), to help collect information to further our knowledge and promote the health of each breed.  You might also let new owners know about collar tags or micro-chipping programs, such as the AKC's Companion Animal Recovery program, which will increase the chances of their animal being safely returned to them should it become lost.
• Most breeders have a written contract with the buyer. A fair contract helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that both buyer and seller are clear on the responsibilities. The website www.dogplay.com/Breeding/ethics.html#resources has tips on being an ethical breeder as well as a sample guarantee from a contract.

Help ensure a smooth transition:

When your animal moves to its new home, it will be an adjustment for both the pet and the new owner. Consider including a "starter kit" with the purchase of the animal or review with the new owner a checklist of everything they will need when they bring their pet home.

Have the new owner pick up the animal in person, or use a careful and reputable animal shipper that specializes in the transport of your type of animal. If you ship your animal, make sure to provide the buyer with status updates and shipping details throughout the process and check in with the buyer after the animal arrives.

Offer to remain a resource for advice and support to the buyer. Especially if they are first time pet owners, they may have questions about the raising, training, and care of their new pet. Not only will this help ensure the welfare of the animals you have brought into the world, but it is a great way to build word of mouth referrals to new buyers!

Tips for Shelters and Rescue Organizations

How LiveDeal can help shelters

With so many people coming to LiveDeal to find a pet (every pet listing typically receives 5-7 inquiries!), it is a great opportunity for rescue organizations to increase adoptions by finding more local people considering adding a pet to their family. LiveDeal’s focus on local means that people in your area will be able to both find and visit the pet of their dreams before making the decision to adopt.

Whether you are a small organization or a large nonprofit with a website, we have a solution that will increase the number of people contacting you locally to find a pet. As a special introductory offer, those signing up with LiveDeal through this link, may sign up for an extended free trial premium store good through July 31, 2006.

Not only is LiveDeal a great way to increase adoptions, it’s a great way to find volunteers and foster donations and support for your cause. Use LiveDeal to increase awareness for your organization and to reach people in your community who care about pets.

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The steps are simple:

• Register for free on LiveDeal and open a free personal account, or take advantage of the extended free trial for shelters and sign up for a premium store.
• This format will allow you to describe your organization and to show all your listings on one page so people can browse all the animals available for adoption from your organization.
• Premium stores include a map to your facility and phone number (both optional), as well as a logo and additional promotion for listings.
• post a Free Ad for each animal in the adoption category.
• In each ad, you can describe the animal, its breed, age, gender, temperament, and any other details about the personality, needs, likes, and dislikes of the animal.
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• Manage pet profiles in MyAccount.
• It' s easy to end a listing once the animal finds a new home, and easy to relist the ad if it takes a little more time to find the right family.

Keep in mind, that as a shelter, all of the same considerations mentioned in the above section for breeders, apply to shelter animals as well. You need to communicate as much information as possible about the animal in your description and, of course, you will need to vette the potential new homes to make sure they will be responsible owners.

In addition, it is generally recommended that animals not be adopted for free. A reasonable amount should be requested to cover the animal' s care, shots, and so forth. This small charge also encourages people to give some thought to the commitment necessary to raise a pet, before they adopt.

Additional LiveDeal benefits for shelters

Bonus for small organizations without a web site:

• By registering on LiveDeal, you will have a simple url (web address) that you can use as your website. Promote this website to increase the number of people viewing the animals and supporting your organization
• With the premium store map option, you can also make it easy for local community members to stop by and visit your facility to see the animals.

Bonus for medium organizations with a basic web site:

• You can link to your LiveDeal listings from your own site or even showcase the pet profiles on your site using LiveDeal’s “Adwiz” solution. No need to describe the animals twice or to update multiple sites --LiveDeal technology provides your community with a reliable and familiar way to view the available pets.

Bonus for larger organizations with web sites and pet listings:

If you already have a spreadsheet with the descriptions of the pets in your facility, you use that same information to feed the listings onto LiveDeal, thereby increasing the number of times each animal is seen and increasing the likelihood of adoption. Contact Us for more details.

Special limited time offer for Shelters

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