By Deidre Grieves | Pet360.com

People make money buying houses for low prices and then reselling them for profits. It's a practice known as flipping-and it looks like this may be happening with dogs as well.

A Craigslist ad is sparking controversy after a woman who adopted a Jack Russell Terrier from the Hawaiian Humane Society allegedly put the dog up for sale just an hour after picking the pooch up from the shelter. According to a report from KHON2 News, the advertised rate for the dog was "$200 or best offer," which is more than double what the woman paid in adoption fees.

The 10-year-old Jack Russell named Sally Mae was adopted by a young woman, but an hour later, the same dog was offered up for sale in an ad on Craigslist that stated that the woman and her boyfriend were caught up working two jobs and couldn't take care of the dog. The posting immediately sparked outrage and sadness from the local animal community.

Christina Kam, Hawaiian Humane Society's communications and event coordinator, told reporters, "It's really disappointing to think that animals are really seen as a commodity versus your loving pet that's part of your family so that's really hard for us."

The Humane Society did attempt to call the new owner and get Sally Mae returned to the shelter so that they could find her a loving home. However, when reporters reached out to the woman who adopted Sally Mae, the woman explained that it was a misunderstanding. She told Hawaii News Now that she was selling Sally Mae because she was loud and energetic and wasn't fitting in.

Ultimately, the woman told reporters that her family would help care for the dog, and that she plans on keeping Sally Mae.

People that return animals to the adoption center within 30 days are given a full refund and Kekama Amona, who volunteers to make videos of the animals for the shelter, believes that is exactly what the woman should do. "I think she should return the dog and give it to somebody who really wants to keep the dog," he told Hawaii News Now.

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Unfortunately, the Craigslist poster did not technically break any laws. There are no rules or regulations that make the reselling of adoptable animals illegal or punishable. The Hawaiian Humane Society does not have language in its adoption contracts preventing owners from "flipping" pets, but after this incident, the shelter is looking into making that a part of contracts in the future.

This is a truly sad story and the victim here is undoubtedly Sally Mae. That Jack Russell deserves a loving pet parent, not one that tries to sell her for profit just because she is loud and energetic. If the woman had done any research beforehand, she would have known that Jack Russells have plenty of energy and need an active family. All we can hope is that Sally Mae manages to have a good life, whether she remains with the woman who adopted her or with a completely different family. Dog flipping of any kind-no matter the circumstances-should absolutely be illegal and punishable by law.

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