FriendBurst Blog

In
a disappointing move, eBay has begun allowing people to sell puppies,
kittens and other animals through eBay Classifieds. This gives puppy
mills and other irresponsible, possibly unlicensed animal producers a
great new outlet through which to sell their “stock” to unsuspecting
customers.

Puppy breeders who sell to pet stores must be licensed by the USDA,
but there’s a gaping loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows
people who sell puppies online and through classified ads like eBay’s to
get around licensing. Depending on what state these breeders are in, it
is legal for them to keep 1,000+ dogs in small cages for their entire
lives with absolutely no oversight, and to advertise those puppies on
websites like eBay Classifieds — if they continue to allow it.

In 2005, eBay almost launched a new pet sale section, but there was
an overwhelmingly negative response from people who knew it would open
the door for puppy mills to sell even more dogs online, and so eBay
nixed the idea, admitting it wasn’t a good one.

Tell eBay that they had it right in 2005: Selling animals through
eBay Classifieds is a bad idea because it supports irresponsible
breeding.