[Lauruffian]

Well, this is news for me.

This 18mo old colt was dropped off at a very large animal shelter in Los Angeles County. This shelter, along with a similar one in Pasadena, handles a massive volume of dogs and cats brought in from the community. I've never heard of a horse being brought in, but well, here we are.

The discussion going under the FB photo reveals the shelter is not putting him up for adoption, but rather holding an auction for him. Umm...what? According to some of the others commenting on the photo, this is not too unusual a practice, and can be done privately and/or online. Again--I've never heard of such a thing. Have you?

[Alagirl]

I guess they had been discussing the Sheriff selling off the minis...

I am sure the kill buyers can be circumvented by putting a reserve on him....

I don really see anything wrong by going that route. It's not a cat or a dog, you virtually have to pay people to take them.

[Lauruffian]

Interesting. Just never heard of such a thing. All that matters is he gets a good home, but that was not the approach I would have ever expected a shelter to take. Learned something new today.

[BuddyRoo]

Interesting. I don't really know what to think.

[goneriding24]

Well, I am on the fence on this. But, maybe with an auction they can get a bit more, yanno, like people will get their blood up for auctioning against each other?? Then again, how do you vet the people bidding, unless you do it beforehand?? Maybe not a bad idea...IDK....

[xQHDQ]

I see it as a fundraising event for them. Hopefully, the home that wins is checked out, but I don't see anything wrong with it.

[exvet]

I am the medical director for a small humane society in Arizona. We routinely (may happen every 2-3 months) auction off dogs and/or cats that have had multiple individuals express an interest to adopt. It is a way to increase revenue which we need in order to save more animals. Auction participants/adopters are required to meet the same criteria as they would for any routine adoption. The auction is silent and the animal goes home with the highest "qualified" bidder. In a time when cats are pick your price, dogs are often $40, all fully vaccinated and sterilized, any means that provides additional income that still allows us to screen adopters is a go in my book. We currently do not deal with horses though my husband does. He's the state vet and unwanted/lost/ownership contested livestock fall under his jurisdiction. The State regularly auctions off unwanted (stray) horses if they are not claimed by the end of their hold period or they are euthanized. Often there is no one to bid on them. It's really not an unheard of practice.

[cowgirljenn]

It may depend, too, on local laws.

For instance in Texas (which I know isn't CA), if horses are seized the JP who hears the case can order them to auction, order them euthanized, or order them turned over to a nonprofit animal welfare organization. If horses are found estray, they have to be held for a minimum number of days and then if the owner isn't found, they can go to auction or to a nonprofit animal welfare organization. In Texas, there are no state laws on how livestock that's voluntarily given to a shelter is disposed of (selling, auction, euthanasia, rescue), but other locations may have laws that govern that.

Sometimes, too, smaller shelters don't know how to deal with large animals and auction is a relatively easy way to do it. It is hard to imagine it could be a fundraising venture - our adoption fees are at an all-time low and if we tried to auction off a horse I cannot imagine it would bring much (unless someone donated a well-trained show horse).

I've also seen animal shelters do the auction thing but require that any bidders be pre-approved so they can check them out. Or require that the winning bidder must be checked out before the purchase is final.

[fourmares]

I think in CA Animal Control has to auction off livestock at a public auction. They will put a reserve on them above meat prices to ensure that they aren't bought buy a kill buyer.

[summerhorse]

It is the law that the sheriff has to auction off the stray livestock if not claimed. Now if it was an owner give up I do not believe it has to be auctioned.

[summerhorse]

I mean it is the law HERE! =)

[ReSomething]

If I find an estray there's a long lst of stuff I as an individual have to do here in KY, but the bottom line is auction it off to recover my expenses.

I find it, well, archaic perhaps, that horses are thought of as livestock with an intrinsic minimum value (meat value). Most livestock related laws are pretty old so it isn't a surprise though.

[red mares]

I find it, well, archaic perhaps, that horses are thought of as livestock with an intrinsic minimum value (meat value). Most livestock related laws are pretty old so it isn't a surprise though.

Umm, horses are considered livestock because they ARE livestock. I don't find that archaic, I find it reassuring.

[Coanteen]

Umm, horses are considered livestock because they ARE livestock. I don't find that archaic, I find it reassuring.

This.

Except when work moves me; they pay for transport costs for pets, but not livestock. Then I find it annoying