A petition calling on Gumtree to stop pets from being sold on the online marketplace has gained some 134,000 signatures.
The site is a popular place for buying and selling just about anything - but when it comes to pets, many are unsure where to start when considering adding a four-legged friend to the family.
The woman behind the petition, Chloe Ellen, writes: "Gumtree allows live animals such as dogs and cats to be advertised and sold for a fee of £2.99 in order to meet the requirements of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG)... the fee is not even a minor inconvenience for irresponsible pet owners who are set on selling and abusing animals."
She describes Gumtree as an "easy platform" for "exploiting" unsuspecting buyers.
The petition adds: "Due to lockdown and with more people working from home than ever, the sale of dogs has massively increased. However, criminals have capitalised on this. It has pushed the price of dogs and puppies to an all-time high which has inadvertently sparked a high rise in dog thefts throughout the UK.
"This industry is driven by a network of often unqualified breeders, transporters and dealers who put the welfare of the animal last."
Those calling for change ask the website to "ban all ads selling or rehoming animals and instead encourage people to use shelters or certified animal fosterers".
The petition also references a 2019 incident in Scotland, in which a man bought cats to use as live bait for fighting dogs.
As reported on the BBC, the 42-year-old was sentenced at Ayr Sheriff Court after "pleading guilty to keeping three dogs, cats and a rat for animal fighting, and procuring cats for fights". He was sentenced to 10 months in jail and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
A spokesperson for Gumtree told Glasgow Live that anyone who has suspicions about a seller, or concerns about animal welfare, should report the advert in question immediately.
The representative said: "At Gumtree, we take the welfare of animals extremely seriously and we work closely with leading animal welfare organisations including Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs & Cats, RSPCA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to comply with all industry-endorsed standards to improve animal welfare in an e-commerce environment.
"We strongly encourage users with any suspicions about a seller or concerns about animal welfare to contact us immediately via the Report button listed next to all ads. Our dedicated safety team will then investigate and take necessary actions such as removing the ad, blocking the offender from the site and, where necessary, assisting law enforcement investigations.
"We recognise that there has been an increased demand for pets during the pandemic, and encourage anyone thinking of welcoming an animal into their family to consider contacting their local rehoming centre in the first instance.
"We are committed to educating our users on safely rehoming pets and you can find more information on our dedicated Pets Hub online.”
