A Vancouver Island classifieds website is taking down their pet sales page, a move the BC SPCA is calling a “giant leap forward” in the fight against puppy mills and other unscrupulous animal breeders who rely on anonymous websites to sell their animals.
Ryan Cochran of Buy, Sell & Trade said his company noticed more suspicious pet sale ads when transitioning from a print edition to an online platform. They asked the Nanaimo SPCA for advice on how to help protect animals raised for profit in substandard conditions.
The online seller chose to eliminate all private pet ads, and will now only include postings for pet adoptions from the SPCA.
Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the SPCA, applauds the decision as the best way to restrict sales from breeders who raise animals in inhumane conditions.
“People often buy from puppy mills unintentionally, without seeing the absolutely horrific conditions the animals are raised in,” she said, describing how a dog she adopted was raised in a crate so small the animal couldn’t even stand up.
Ads from such vendors are often indistinguishable from ads from responsible breeders, which is why it’s best to remove all private ads, she said, instead of trying to track down every private vendor to determine if they’re problematic.
Buy, Sell & Trade’s decision could make it more difficult for pet owners looking for a new home for an animal they can no longer keep, but Chortyk said selling to a stranger online isn’t the best idea anyway.
She suggests they find a friend or family member they trust to take good care of their furry (or scaly) friend. If that fails, the SPCA is always there to help, she said.
“A pet is not a commodity,” she said, stressing that getting a pet involves taking responsibility of an animal’s lifelong welfare, so finding the best home for your pet should outweigh the desire to recoup costs.
Chortyk said unregulated pet sales are not only hazardous to animal welfare, but can also pose a risk to human safety, as shown by the death of two boys strangled by a python in New Brunswick last weekend. The provincial government stated the owner was never issued a permit for the 4.3-metre long snake.
The BC SPCA has talked to other major classifieds websites about removing ads for private pet sales, but Chortyk believes companies are reluctant to risk losing profits.
“That’s why it’s significant that Buy, Sell & Trade did this,” said Chortyk. “I think it’s great they’re taking a stand and taking a leadership role.”
Buy, Sell & Trade carries ads from across the province but is especially popular on the island, where it launched in 1976 with a now-defunct print edition.
