Anger over unwanted pets for sale online
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WORRIED animal rights campaigners have slammed heartless pet owners for selling unwanted animals on the internet.
A spot check has found a number of websites listing dozens of "pre-loved" pets for sale.
They include a 9ft python available for a whopping £1000 and, until a few days ago, a heavily-muscled eight-month-old "untrained" micro pocket American bulldog for £2000, listed for sale because it did not get along with its owner’s other dog.
Other unwanted pets on the Preloved.co.uk website within Inverness and a 25-mile radius include two nearly fully-grown collies.
One, available for £150, is a five-month-old cross whose owner has "new work commitments." The other is a sheepdog which "adores humans" but has shown no interest in sheep.
And it is the same picture over at Gumtree.com, which has recently imposed a £2.99 fee for pet sale listings to discourage the "casual" trading of animals online.
The list of unwanted local pets there includes an 18-month-old cat looking for a "stable" household, which is on sale for £15; a pair of two-year-old "very tame" rabbit sisters for £25 and a one-year-old cat whose owner has developed a skin allergy, for £70.
It is not illegal to post adverts and sell pets online. However Natalie Oag, Highland representative for the Peta Foundation (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), believes it is leading to a surge in the number of abandoned and ill-treated animals.
"Pets shouldn’t be viewed the same as inanimate objects when no longer wanted," she said. "It’s not fair on them to be sold alongside kids bikes’ and unused furniture.
"Too many people are just not taking responsibility. They like the look of the dog when it’s a puppy and then they take it home and think ‘I can’t be bothered with it’.
"They don’t seem to realise they are living creatures that feel pain, get frightened, stressed and upset moving home. They need love and affection."
Ms Oag wants to see a change in the law so dog owners have to have a special licence, as in other countries. This step was proposed by the Scottish Government just last week.
A Scottish SPCA inspector also said people should re-home a rescue pet, rather than buy one online.
"While we appreciate there are reputable breeders who advertise online, we generally advise against buying animals via the internet and sites such as Gumtree," he said.
A spokesman for Gumtree.com insisted it had taken steps to safeguard animals by introducing the fee for adverts.
And a spokeswoman for Preloved.co.uk said: "Of course there are buyers and sellers that don’t have an animal’s best interests at heart, but in our experience these are the minority."
One pet owner, who did not want to be named, said selling dogs and cats online could be defended, depending on the circumstances.
She said: "It may be that some people who want to give a pet a new home don’t want to sell it as something cheap and easily accessible and they think a high price might mean someone better will take it."
