MOVIE DIRECTOR ADVISES CAUTION IN ADVERTISING PETS AS FREE TO A GOOD HOME

A movie director speaks about her experience with abandoned animals and warns of the hazards of giving animals away.

Movie Director Advises Caution in Advertising Pets as Free to a Good Home"

VENICE, Calif--November, 2003--Judy Crozier, director of FREE to a Good Home," a new feature film about abandoned animals, warns about the perils of advertising pets as free."
         Says Crozier, During my years as a student, I was often broke. To feed the animals I had rescued, I called supermarkets that gave away broken bags of cat and dog food. Although I was poor at that time, I still kept my animals. Once, though, a man in the supermarket told me if I couldnt afford to feed my pets, I shouldnt keep them."
     Of course I felt terrible but this experience made me realize how precious these creatures were to me and I dont believe that people, regardless of their incomes, should be prohibited from owning pets. On the other hand, individuals should be very careful in advertising a pet as 'free."
     Crozier notes that there are many hazards involved in placing advertisements for free animals in newspapers and online. Pets can be used as live food or as bait for exotic species such as snakes or alligators. In other cases, they can be abused or abandoned by their new owners. They can also be re-sold to laboratories who will use them for experimentation.
     Says Crozier, I know of one woman in LA who calls every person who advertises an animal 'for free. She cautions them about the perils of giving away pets without investigating their new homes."
     For further information about adopting pets, please go to www.freetoagoodhomemovie.com. Crozier provides guidelines about adopting animals and links to animal welfare sites.

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