# Re-homing vs Selling ?



## Kadish Tolesa (Oct 7, 2010)

Hi everyone...as the title says, what is the difference ? The young couple who are renting our old place called and asked if I had bunnies to sell. Her husband is going into basic training soon, and she needs some pets as she'll be alone until he's done and stationed somewhere. I offered Em. with a re-homing fee, and she said she wanted two buns of the same gender, so they could keep each other company while she's at work. 

So I said she could have Em. and Tigger with a small re-homing fee of 30.$ for the pair. She was a little surprised that it was so much....but it's partly to cover Em's spay and that she would need to have Tigger spayed as well. She finally agreed, but wondered whynotjust say "sell" - - -instead of re-home. I think she thought re-homing meant "free". Gaahhh !!!!!!!!

A re-homing fee is neccessary to ensure the pet isn't easily dumped somewhere ; so it's not the same as selling.

What do you all think ? It seems like selling is more about profit, but re-homing shows you care. Just my .02 

I rarely go to the PetSmart by us because their ferret cage is so bad ; but back when I was trying to look for a bun for my son, the store clerk said they make very little profit from rabbit sales as most of the stock is from H.S. and needs neutering/worming , ect. But that's a topic for a new post....sorry for being so long-winded.


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## akane (Oct 8, 2010)

Semantics. Generally so long as you aren't making a profit you can put it down as a rehoming fee but even then there are some gray areas if you paid for the animal in the first place. A lot of people put sugar gliders on craigslist with a "rehoming fee" of several $100 because that's what you pay to get a glider from a breeder and they don't want to lose too much money. Shelters manage to list dogs for $100s even when they haven't put that exact amount in to the dog in order to cover the cost of other dogs. So really at what point you are selling instead of rehoming is just a matter of opinion and point of view.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Oct 8, 2010)

I guess it does depend on how you view it. With selling, re homing and even adopting, there is still the exchange of money for the rabbit, so it that respect they are the same. It seems to mostly come down to the situation. 
Selling: Usually is a breeder and tends to be young rabbits. Some may sell older rabbits, but these rabbits tend to go as breeding or show rabbits. 
Re-home: When you can't take for a rabbit or feel that it would do better with someone else. Not really a sale as you want the rabbit to go to the best home and you realize that you can't provide what the rabbit needs. 
Adopting: The rabbit comes from a difficult situation and needs a new home. Mostly shelters or rescues adopt animals, but individuals to take rabbits in with the intent to find it a new home can also be considered adoption. 

Usually with a re home or adoption, the fee is to make sure the person knows what they are getting into and the help cover some of the costs. The cost can vary, usually from about $20-50 depending on the situation.
Sales seem to be if you are looking for something specific and go to someone who can provide that. You might be able to find what you are looking for somewhere else, but you choose to go find it. 

I don't think it is about profit. Many breeders don't make money off of a sale. It is more about the intention and situation.


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## golfdiva (Oct 8, 2010)

I think of "selling" as giving the animal to the first person who comes along and gives you the money.

"Rehoming" is you have a pet that you can't keep anymore and you find it another good home. You may or may not get money for it.

"Adoption" is an animal that doesn't have a home, so it's on the street or in a shelter. The "adoptee" is carefully screened and may or may not pay money for the animal.

That's just my point of view!


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## luvthempigs (Oct 8, 2010)

*golfdiva wrote: *


> I think of "selling" as giving the animal to the first person who comes along and gives you the money.
> 
> "Rehoming" is you have a pet that you can't keep anymore and you find it another good home. You may or may not get money for it.
> 
> ...


Well put, I agree.


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## akane (Oct 9, 2010)

What about breeders who can no longer keep the previous generation but don't just give them to the first person with money. Are they rehoming or selling? What about breeders who screen homes even for their younger animals? Most of the good breeders I know of any animal but especially dogs will not sell it to the first person with money. I know several breeders who ask well below what other breeders do despite having quality animals just so they can send them to good homes rather than the first person with the most money. Most of those situations everyone would agree are selling but they don't match those definitions.

Again I bring up the sugar gliders because they are always on CL with high "rehoming" fees. Most say they want them to go to a good home but they hold out for someone who can pay the money often passing up the better home in the process.


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## BlueCamasRabbitry (Oct 9, 2010)

As a breeder who lists on CL, we have to advertise as "re-homing" which, to me at least, definitely does not mean that I may or may not get money for the animal. I list it with a rehoming fee, so I expect to get around that asking price. And I don't ask this rehoming fee because I can't care for the animal anymore, either. 

I think it just depends on the certain situations, and what places you advertise. Some places only allow you to use certain words, whereas other places don't care. 

Golfdiva, your "definition" of selling is incorrect. Respectable breeders don't just give the pet & take the money from the first person who hands it over.  There is a LOT of work put into making sure the animal goes to a good home - screening, interviews, etc. You make it sound like people who "sell" animals, are bad people. :/ 

Emily


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## Kadish Tolesa (Oct 9, 2010)

"Selling" a bun may mean different things to different people. Speaking from my own experience with raising and selling Flemmies several years back ; there were some who - - - short of doing a background check - - - really quizzed/grilled you before selling. And then there were those who tried to get me to buy at least 2 and would sometimes offer to go down in price. I take back what I'd posted earlier in this thread...I _have_ bought from people who were concerned about where their buns were going ; as much as those trying to re-home a beloved pet !!!

The best way (for buying a bun...for myself, anyway) seemed to be to gain as much knowledge at shows and ask around alot.

So as far as selling buns, people have different methods of going about it; IMO . 

Sometimes, if you sell carelessly, it can come back and bite you. Years ago I'd sold an 8 week-old bun to a lady with 3 boys. The next day she called me to say it had died and wanted to buy another one. They had to wait as I didn't have any old enough. Later on I sold them another one. It lived for 3 days. At that point I realised something was wrong, because each of those buns had siblings who were fine. 

I asked her if she was outside with the boys when they played with the bunny , and she replied "no, I take care of feeding and watering, but the kids were playing withit alone when it died." Hhmmm... She was unhappy that she had paid for sick rabbits and I felt like she needed to supervise her 5,6, and 9 yr.-olds alot more. I asked her to be out with the kids when they played with their pet ; but in one ear and out the other. :rollseyes

The downside of this- - -besides the poor buns' fate, was that she told many people that I sold unhealthy bunnies. Mainly just friends and relatives.....no breeders. She doesn't breed or show buns and that's probably a good thing. We are actually still friends.....go figure.

I have to add here that so far I haven't had a bad experience with my selling to a breeder at shows or otherwise. ( Knocks on wood...)

Thanks everyone for you insightful replies !

Sorry this is so loooong.....


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## golfdiva (Oct 9, 2010)

> Golfdiva, your "definition" of selling is incorrect. Respectable breeders don't just give the pet & take the money from the first person who hands it over.  There is a LOT of work put into making sure the animal goes to a good home - screening, interviews, etc. You make it sound like people who "sell" animals, are bad people. :/


Well if the respectable breeder was carefully screening people, then I would think that fits into the category of rehoming not selling!

But it doesn't matter. It's all semantics. The dictionary definition of these words aren't that specific. You can make them imply whatever you want! 

This is just my opinion.


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## Happi Bun (Oct 9, 2010)

I go by the actual definitions, though many times people do not follow them. I do see a difference in selling and rehoming. Craigslist isn't a good example for the definitions since many breeders say rehoming to avoid flagging, since selling is supposed to be against the rules.

Selling definition-
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

When I think of selling I think of someone that does it continuously, as in a breeder or pet store. Not necessarily for profit but they have various animals available for money.

Rehoming definition-
To find a new home for (especially of pets)

When I think of rehoming I think of a circumstance where the owner can no longer properly care for their animal and needs to someone else to take it in. A fee being involved is highly debated and not what defines the word, IMO.


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## slavetoabunny (Oct 9, 2010)

At rescue events we always get people come up to us and ask if we are selling the rabbits. We reply that they are rescues who are up for adoption and the adoption fee is $55. We also add the adoption fee only covers their spay or neuter. No one is making any money here!

I agree that it's a matter of semantics.


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## tamsin (Oct 9, 2010)

Selling is generally when you either breed or buy with the intention of resale. In the UK at least, the later would require a pet shop licence.

Rehoming is generally when you have a pet which you intended to keep but are now unable to do so so are finding it a new home. Rescues rehome on behalf of the public too.

In this case I'd be quizzing the potential owner about the rabbits future - will they be able to take them whereever they move too?


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