Ebay Under Fire as Puppy Mills Controversy Erupts

via Change.org - In a January 16 blog post, Two Little Cavaliers urged animal lovers to contact eBay Classifieds, part of eBay Corporation, to shut down its live animal listings. This grassroots campaign is being supported by Change.org.  More than half a dozen pet bloggers have featured the Change.org petition on their websites, joining the campaign to end eBay’s pet listings.

The petition calls on eBay Classifieds to end its live animal listings out of concern that the site is providing a marketplace for puppy mills and unethical breeders to deceive consumers. Puppy mills are commercial breeders who mass-produce animals under inhumane conditions, resulting in health and behavior problems that buyers often don’t discover until after they’ve taken their new pet home. Internet anonymity, like that provided by eBay, makes it difficult to hold the people responsible for these abuses accountable.

“eBay is putting pets and consumers at risk,” said Stephanie Feldstein, an Editor at Change.org. “eBay listened to activists’ concerns when it came to keeping live animals out of their online auctions, but with eBay Classifieds, they’ve left the back door open for puppy mills and unethical breeders to find unsuspecting customers on their site.”

"The pet blogging community’s dedication to protecting animals and pet owners is incredible," said Feldstein. "Change.org is about empowering individuals to fight for the change they want to see in the world, and the tens of thousands of animal lovers and activists signing this petition have made it clear that they want to see eBay Classifieds end its live animal sales."

Although eBay Classifieds’ policy does not allow breeders with “a history of non-compliance inspections with the USDA” to list on their site, 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, conscientious consumers are misled into believing that sellers on eBay Classifieds have been subject to inspections to ensure that their animals are treated humanely.

Animal activists argue that it’s impossible for the company to monitor the health or welfare of animals listed on its site, and they believe the only way for eBay to stop supporting animal cruelty is by shutting down its pet listings or expanding its partnership with Petfinder.com to allow adoption listings only.

Please join me in supporting this campaign by signing the Change.org petition and sharing the link on your blog, facebook profile or twitter.

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