THE AD promises a pure-bred pet, but do you really know what you're buying online?
The Australian Veterinary Association has issued new guidelines for people buying a furry friend on the internet.
Susan Hazel, from the University of Adelaide, spoke about the need for such guidelines at the association's annual conference in Brisbane earlier this week.
"We don't know exactly how many pets are sold online in Australia, but recent research into the numbers of dogs and cats advertised for sale online indicate that tens of thousands of pets are advertised every year," Dr Hazel said.
"It's not uncommon to come across misleading ads or outright scams online. There have been many cases of people receiving a sick or diseased animal, or a breed unlike the description in the online ad. The truth is, it's difficult for members of the public to differentiate between good and bad ads.
Another concern with the online sale of pets is that animals traded online can often arrive with a blank medical history.
Dr Hazel says that while responsible pet owners will advise potential new owners of a health or behavioural problem, not all owners are responsible.
"Even people who want to do the right thing might mislead a potential owner. If a seller is desperate to find their pet a new home, they may not disclose the real reasons for giving it up."
Fortunately, not all websites that advertise pets for sale are bad.
"There are also some highly reputable websites like PetRescue that help to find homes for surrendered pets in shelters or pounds," Dr Hazel said.
The AVA's guidelines:
- Animals advertised for sale must be weaned and independent of the mother and their age or date of birth must be included in the advertisement.
- A unique microchip number must be made available to the purchaser, and a recent picture of the animal should be included.
- Ideally, the medical history, including vaccination status, and pictures of the parents should be available to view on request.
- Where a permit or licence is required to keep or breed an animal, a copy of the permit (with personal identifiers removed for public viewing if necessary) should be displayed. The full permit should be available on request.
- Pregnant and lactating animals must not be offered for sale.
- Banned breeds must not be offered for sale.
- The advertisement should state whether the sale is from a private seller, commercial establishment or a re-homing centre or shelter.
- Sales of pets should be from a legitimate fixed address and not at markets or temporary locations.
- The website should include prominent information for buyers about how to avoid puppy farms, and recommend meeting the seller, the parent animals, and inspecting the breeding facility before purchase.
- The website host should ensure that no pets are advertised for swapping with other pets, goods or services.
- The website should be monitored and there should be a mechanism for the public to report non-compliant advertisements to the website host.
