More than 100,000 online adverts removed

More than 100,000 adverts have been removed from some of the UK’s biggest classified websites, following a pilot scheme to regulate online pet sales.

Fraudulent adverts

The six-month scheme was run by the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), which is made up of representatives from animal welfare groups and trade associations.

The adverts removed contravened PAAG’s minimum standards which were launched in September 2013. Endorsed by Defra and supported by the Scottish Government, these standards aim to improve the welfare of pets sold online by encouraging websites to filter out fraudulent adverts.

Horses are often the victims of dodgy online dealings. World Horse Welfare found one advert where a 21-year-old ex-sport horse who had ‘dropped weight rapidly over the past month’ was being offered ‘free to a good home.’ He was also described as a ‘good weight carrier’ despite previous injuries.

Number of concerns

“Obviously we had a number of concerns about this advert and contacted the site to ask them not only to remove the advert but also to pass our number to the advertiser in case we could offer some advice,” said Sam Chubbock, World Horse Welfare deputy head of UK Support.

“As the site has signed up to the PAAG minimum standards, they promptly removed the advert and put us in contact with the seller so we could do our best to make sure this horse received the care and attention it needed.”

The classified advertising websites involved in the pilot scheme were Gumtree, Pets4Homes, PreLoved, Vivastreet, FridayAds and EPupz.

Suspicious

Clarissa Baldwin chairman of PAAG said despite the efforts of these websites, thousands of others continue to accept “illegal, unethical and unscrupulous adverts”.

“We are urging any classified website in the UK offering pets for sale to sign up to the minimum standards so that progress can be made towards ensuring that all adverts on these websites are from reputable individuals or breeders,” she said.

PAAG is also calling on the public to help by reporting anything suspicious they find in online classified pages, to the website concerned.

Anyone with a serious concern about the welfare of an animal in an advert should notify PAAG atadmin@paag.org.ukand also contact the RSPCA, SSPCA or USPCA.