Animal welfare or money?

**crazywiggy** · #1 08-09-06, 06:23 am

I know this is my first post, and I don't mean to start out being rude so please nobody take offense.
I love this site - mainly because everyone here puts the welfare of the animals first, e.g. insisting on adopting rather than purchasing, bigger cages, better care etc.
I just have one question....

Why oh why is one of the sponsors a company that sells electric shock collars for dogs? I mean, this forum is supposed to be a pro-animal welfare/rights site, yet you advertise dog training equipment that works (if it works at all) by causing pain - and is often responsible for causing even more behaviour problems etc.
Sorry to have to ask - but it just doesn't make any sense to me.

**daftscotslass** · #2 08-09-06, 06:32 am

When you say sponsors, are you referring to the Google ads?

**Percy's Mom** · #3 08-09-06, 06:52 am

That was my question as well dafts. Unfortunately, the Google ads at the bottom of the page are out of our control at this point. Teresa is looking into what has to be done to fix the content of those ads. Those are definitely not our sponsors.

**daftscotslass** · #4 08-09-06, 07:12 am

Yes that's what I was going to say PM. The ads pick up on the keywords on the site "pigs" "pets" etc and the ads run according to those.

Perhaps if more members donated then the ads wouldn't have to be there at all? Every penny that is donated is one penny less that Teresa has to pay out of her own pocket away from her rescues. So the moral is, if you don't like them, become a Cavy Star for only $10/£5 a year and perhaps one day the ads will no longer be required.

**crazywiggy** · #5 08-09-06, 07:27 am

Thank you for clarifying that... thought it seemed a bit odd.

**CavySpirit** · #6 08-09-06, 10:48 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by daftscotslass

Yes that's what I was going to say PM. The ads pick up on the keywords on the site "pigs" "pets" etc and the ads run according to those.

Perhaps if more members donated then the ads wouldn't have to be there at all? Every penny that is donated is one penny less that Teresa has to pay out of her own pocket away from her rescues. So the moral is, if you don't like them, become a Cavy Star for only $10/£5 a year and perhaps one day the ads will no longer be required.

Exactly. A number of the ads are inappropriate, but a lot of them are fine. I don't control it. I can't violate Google's terms of service, but there are most definitely two ways of looking at it. The ads are there to try to stem the tide of red ink that I've given to these sites and rescue now and for the past 7 years.

And the title of your thread, Animal Welfare or money. Well animal welfare takes money. I've put ALL of mine and then some on the front line for years--well over 6 figures. And I continue to do so, even though I can no longer afford it.

As a member or even guest of this site, am I even remotely worried about you going out and buying a shock collar for your dog? No. Am I worried about you going out and buying hog butchering equipment? No. Do I care if you click on the ad to check it out? Hell no.

**Sabriel** · #7 08-09-06, 11:03 am

Anyone who uses Google ads has to deal with ads that may not reflect the views of the site they are on. A lot of those sites have a disclaimer near them that states "Ads do not necessarily reflect the views of this web site".

Not sure if that is against the ToS though. The site I visit most with that message romoved it when she redid the site. Not sure if that was do to the revamp (no room perhaps) or if she was told she was violating the ToS.

No one *wants* google ads on their site, but for some it's a way to stay a float. Cavy Spirit does a lot to help guinea pigs in need and to run this fine forum. It does cost quite a bit to do that. Just a no frills low traffic domain/hosting package costs $60 USD a year. I don't even want to think of how much Cavy Spirit's hosting costs, what with all of us trampling all over it!

**chinchillasunde** · #8 08-09-06, 06:50 pm

Angelfire is the same, my Chinchilla site is there and sometimes ads pop up regarding: FUR..ugh.

**Sabriel** · #9 08-09-06, 09:44 pm

I'd like to add that I've also seen PETA ads, ads that ask for donations to help Hurricane Katrina Victims and ads that advodate volunteering in your community.

If these wonderful causes can sit it fit to buy Google ads then it can't be all that bad to give them more exposure.

**Ly&Pigs** · #10 08-09-06, 11:32 pm

I want to address a statement made by chinchillasunde in a post that was moved to the deleted threads forum.

chinchillasunde made a comment saying that the ads are free advertisement at the bottom in exchange for a free site. This site is not a free site, it is paid for out of the pocket of CavySpirit. The google ads were brought in to help generate revenue to keep this site running.

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