Erik Geiger's Blog

Okay, I'm pissed.
I have been giving stuff away on, and getting stuff free from a locally run Yahoo group called Madison Freecycle. The deal is that if you've got something you'd rather give away than throw out, you can send a message to the group, and if the moderator approves it, your message is posted to the group for others to respond to.
I've given away a couple of old computers, a keyboard, a car and a dining room table to folk who I got in touch with through this group. I've taken a couple of things away too, but overall I've given more than I've taken.

I have watched in concern as folks have given away pets with "free to a good home" type postings. If you've ever worked at or volunteered for a vet clinic, a humane society an animal rescue group, you know that pet giveaways are a bad idea. Free pets are often regarded as disposable. Free pets are often sold into animal research. Free pets become food for constrictors, become blood fodder for attack dogs.
I always suggest to anyone who'll listen, if you value the pet's life at all, charge a nominal adoption fee, say $30.00. Think about it - if someone wants a pet, and can't afford a $30.00 adoption fee, can they possibly afford to feed the pet, to provide veterinary care?
So I reacted to my concern by sending a letter to the moderator of the group.:

Please consider revising the Freecycle charter to
forbid giving pets away. This practice often results
in tragic consequences for the pets, as these article
indicate:

http://www.petrescue.com/library/free-pet.htm
http://www.parrett.net/animalaid/free.html

I can provide you with a list of licensed, state
monitored animal shelters in the area to whom you can
refer anyone looking to get rid of unwanted pets, or
anyone looking to adopt.

Here's the response I got:

We're not going to change our policy unless there is a huge outcry from
the Freecycle subscribers. We took a poll, and it was 2 to 1 in favor
of
allowing pet postings. I'm the founder of the group, and I voted
against
such posts myself. Still, I went with the desires of the vast majority
of Freecycle members in Madison.

Thanks for the feedback.

That's fairly cordial, but it doesn't at all address the fact that the group is facilitating an easily abused practise that often ends tragically.

Here's the next message I sent:

I understand your position. I do hope you'll
reconsider, however.

As you know, the threats to the well-being of "free"
and therefore disposable, pets are tangible and well
documented.

The benefit to freecyclers being able to give pets
away on the group are more nebulous and seem to be
primarily a matter of convenience.

I'd respectfully suggest that the wellfare of the pets
involved is a higher priority than the convenience of
those giving them away.

As you know, there are several rescue and placement
groups in Dane County who will help place unwanted
pets, so freecyclers can still get their needs met,
without threatening the well-being of the pets.

May I open a dialog on the group message board over
this matter? Is there an established protocol or
etiquette for discussing matters of group policy?

The next response was rather less cordial:

No, I won't approve posts to the group discussing the pets/livestock
issue. This was discussed several months ago, I ran the poll, and the
results were clear.

I appreciate your concern, but I'm not going to run this group as a
dictatorship.

I will address one issue--it isn't just a "matter of convenience". I've
adopted two animals from rescues, and in the first case I paid a $70
dollar adoption fee. I paid $200 in the second case. This is a HUGE
cost for many people.
Yes, I understand why animal rescues charge these
fees.
I also understand that a lot of people find these fees to be beyond
their means.

That's the last I will discuss this issue with you. Again, thanks for
your concern.

For someone who's "not going to run this group as a dictatorship", his tone is quite dictatorial.

He has forbidden free discussion of matters of import to a number of group members.

He refuses to correspond further with me on a matter of import to me and several other group members, telling me "That's the last I will discuss this issue with you."

He refuses to give more recent participants in the group a voice in policy decisions made before their time.

That's fine - it's his group, and he can run it in anyway he please.

I will no longer participate in a group which tacitly contributes to the abuse of animals, run by a moderator who seems more impressed with exercising authority in a peremptory manner than in the outcome of those decisions.

I will find other ways to dispose of the types of items I have previously made available here. I will further encourage others to reconsider their participation.

I will write the ASPCA, asking them to contact the moderator, urging them to discontinue this easily abused practice.

Further I will be sending a letter to the Madison City Council asking them to introduce an ammendment mandating a minimum $30.00 adoption fee for pets "given away" in the city limits.

I will send a letter to the editors of the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capitol Times and the Isthmus, outlining the problems with pet giveaways, and the exact text of our correspondence on the topic.

Finally I will send a similar strong letter to the Yahoo board of directors and the manager of services urging them to disallow any groups that facilitate pet give aways.

I don't know what results these efforts will have, but none of them will be saluatory to the group.