by Stephanie Feldstein ·
Several years ago, eBay considered the creation of a live animals auction category. Following protests from pet lovers, eBay decided to maintain its policy against live animal listings. But only when it came to auctions. While you won't see a bidding war over a puppy on the site, unethical breeders and puppy mills still have a marketplace with pet listings on eBay Classifieds.In April, eBay amended its policy to prohibit the sale of pets on its Korean website, Auction.co.kr, stating that “eBay is committed to being socially responsible and we take the concerns of our global user community seriously.”
Now that more than 100,000 people have signed onto a grassroots campaign on Change.org calling for the end of live animal listings in eBay Classifieds, will the company once again listen to its user community?
When eBay made the right decision not to allow animal auctions, many people, including Felissa Elfenbein of the Two Little Cavaliers blog, believed that all eBay sites would be a safe place for animals, where deceptive and abusive puppy peddlers wouldn't be welcome. But when Felissa discovered that eBay Classifieds was still an open market for disreputable breeders, she started the campaign on her blog to shut down the live animal listings.
Six months later, dozens of other pet bloggers have supported the cause and more than 100,000 people have signed the petition on Change.org.
Still, there's been no word from eBay beyond a response to the petition months ago that showed how much they don't get it. If they "do not condone the unethical treatment of animals," it's time for them to prove it by shutting down their pet classifieds.
Here are some ways to let eBay Classifieds know you don't agree with selling animals online:
1) Twitter: Hey @eBay: 100,000+ people oppose pet sales on @eBayClassifieds. Help #endpuppymillshttp://chn.ge/eJAPwC
2) Facebook: Post a comment on eBay's Facebook page, letting them know you don't support pet sales on eBay Classifieds.
3) Are you an eBay user? Send a polite request to eBay Classifieds' Help Desk, asking them to shut down live animal sales on eBay Classifieds.
And, of course, sign and share the petition.
Internet anonymity makes it impossible to monitor the health or welfare of animals listed on a site like eBay Classifieds. And with claims of "safeguards," eBay is misleading buyers into believing that they've screened out unscrupulous breeders, when in reality, it's impossible for them to do so.
For example, eBay Classifieds’ policy does not allow breeders with “a history of non-compliance inspections with the USDA” to list on their site, but there is a loophole in federal law that allows kennels selling directly to consumers via online or classified ads to bypass USDA oversight. As a result, eBay Classifieds is implying that their sellers have been subject to inspections that don't exist.
If eBay wants to help animals find homes, they'll stick with their Petfinder partnership to give pets a chance at adoption instead of helping disreputable breeders stay in business.
Photo credit: monicaewagner
Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
