Reading Petfinder, while diverting, often makes my teeth hurt. The purple prose, baby-talk, shameles bs'ing is overwhelming after a while. Every dog "wonders why he/she can't be part of a family" (do dogs really wonder things?) Every former owner "didn't take the time to train X." Every large dog is really "a big baby." All dogs 'give lots of kisses," "is beautiful' and "loves to play.' And then there are the listings that are in the first person, ie, the dog is speaking directly to wouldbe adopters. I'm surprised more people don't drop dead of insulin shock reading these things. Please, I'm begging you: if you write a Petfinder ad, just be honest and clear. What's so hard about saying something like:
Bill is about 1 year old and, best guess, a beagle or beagle mix. He is neutered and weighs about 25lbs. We have had him examined by a vet and he is now up-to-date on basic vaccines, on heartworm preventative. He will walk on a leash with some pulling, and sits on command. He's been temperament-tested and does not have the patience or tolerance we look for when adopting out to families with small children. He does test well with dogs, but appears predatory with cats.
Instead of:
Princess is a SWEET, SWEET girl with a capital S! She loves everyone, although she is a little shy when you first meet her! Princess needs to be an only dog so that she can get all the love to herself! She loves her kong and other toys and really enjoys cuddling, snuggling, and giving LOTS of big wet kisses!
or
Mmm! This milk chocolate treat acts almost as delicious as she looks! It's hard to take your eyes off this beauty she appears so yummy! Bounding about with lots of energy she would love a home with lots of room or a human friend who loved to go for long walks out in the park. Pack a picnic basket full of treats for you and her and come pick this supermodel up for a permanent date!
I'm not exagerating, these are real ads. I particularly like the Princess one, where they managed to slip in what is likely dog-aggression in a way that makes it sound like she just wants all you luuuuv to herself. Yes, that's one way to look at it.
Bill is about 1 year old and, best guess, a beagle or beagle mix. He is neutered and weighs about 25lbs. We have had him examined by a vet and he is now up-to-date on basic vaccines, on heartworm preventative. He will walk on a leash with some pulling, and sits on command. He's been temperament-tested and does not have the patience or tolerance we look for when adopting out to families with small children. He does test well with dogs, but appears predatory with cats.
Instead of:
Princess is a SWEET, SWEET girl with a capital S! She loves everyone, although she is a little shy when you first meet her! Princess needs to be an only dog so that she can get all the love to herself! She loves her kong and other toys and really enjoys cuddling, snuggling, and giving LOTS of big wet kisses!
or
Mmm! This milk chocolate treat acts almost as delicious as she looks! It's hard to take your eyes off this beauty she appears so yummy! Bounding about with lots of energy she would love a home with lots of room or a human friend who loved to go for long walks out in the park. Pack a picnic basket full of treats for you and her and come pick this supermodel up for a permanent date!
I'm not exagerating, these are real ads. I particularly like the Princess one, where they managed to slip in what is likely dog-aggression in a way that makes it sound like she just wants all you luuuuv to herself. Yes, that's one way to look at it.