KSL Classifieds is furthering our commitment to protect pets online

Unlike your old couch or collection of baseball cards, pets are living, breathing animals. As such, they deserve a little more care and consideration when it comes to posting a listing online. 

This is a charge KSL Classifieds takes seriously, which is why we've increased our efforts to provide every pet with the loving, safe home they deserve.

Here are just some of the ways they’re working to ensure the well-being of animals online — including some recent changes that will take things a step further. 

Petfinder integration

KSL Classifieds recently integrated with Petfinder, an online database of animals looking for homes. With this integration, animal shelters and rescues can get their listings for available animals automatically copied and posted on KSL Classifieds for free.

The process is simple: All the organizations need to do is complete a one-time enrollment to take advantage of the KSL Classifieds partnership with Petfinder. It only takes a few minutes — and no money at all.

To view the current listings of adoptable animals added to KSL Classifieds via the Petfinder integration, click here. 

Strut Your Mutt

This past October, KSL Classifieds sponsored Strut Your Mutt, an event put on by Best Friends Animal Society to fundraise for animal shelters and rescues. With a goal to end shelter killings in Utah by 2025, Best Friends has partnered with such groups as the No-Kill Utah Network — and their work is paying off. As of June 2023, 77% of Utah animal shelters have reached “no-kill” status. 

The Strut Your Mutt event increased awareness and education about homeless pets and organizers raised $54,000 for animal welfare organizations across the state. “It was incredible to see so many people coming together for such a great cause,” Tiffany Rhodes, senior marketing manager for KSL Classifieds, said. “We are so proud of the amount of good KSL Classifieds has been able to make in the pet community this year.”

Cracking down on unethical breeders

KSL Classifieds also worked with Best Friends Animal Society and the Humane Society of Utah to revamp the Pets category last year. The goal was to weed out unethical or suspicious breeders, such as people who run puppy mills or other pet scams.

“We appreciate KSL Classifieds' changes to their site,” said Elizabeth Oreck, national manager of puppy mill initiatives from Best Friends, “and applaud their commitment to making their pet classifieds safer and more responsible for pets and consumers, for supporting the adoption of homeless pets, and for providing educational resources so that anyone looking to obtain a pet can make the most informed decision possible.” 

Dog listing fees

Part of revamping the Pets category included implementing a $15 fee for new dog listings. The purpose of the new fee was to encourage users to put more thought and care into where these dogs were homed. It also discouraged breeding for profit and reduced the number of duplicate listings, which made searching for dogs easier and more efficient. 

As an added benefit to the pet community, a portion of these fees goes back to local shelters and animal rights groups. 

Changes to cat listings

Beginning Nov. 15, the same $15 fee required for dog listings will apply to cat listings. The reasons for this change are the same as those listed above — KSL Classifieds just wants to extend the same benefits to cats.

Shelters and animal welfare agencies are exempt from the listing fee to help encourage pet adoption wherever possible.

Free pet adoption week

In May, KSL Classifieds worked with the Humane Society of Utah to sponsor Free Adoption Week at the Murray Adoption Center. 

Each year, more than 450,000 unwanted animals end up in shelters, usually because their owners can no longer care for them. Free Adoption Week gave families a chance to visit the shelter, meet the animals in person and decide if they’d be a good fit for their home on the spot. 

Normally, adoption fees can be as much as $500, depending on the animal. This covers the cost of spay/neuter services, vaccinations, a microchip and a wellness exam. But for one week only, all adoption fees were waived to help place more pets with loving families as easily as possible.  

The Free Adoption Week event was made possible in part by the dog listing fees KSL Classifieds introduced last year.

Consider adopting a pet

Promoting animal welfare is something you can help out with, too. If you’re thinking about buying the family a new puppy or cat this holiday season, consider adopting one instead. Right now, there are thousands of pets listed on KSL Classifieds who need a loving home. From puppies and kittens to mature cats and dogs, a furry new member of the family might just be waiting for you online.