Standards updated as more people buy pets online.

The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) has launched an updated version of its advertising standards which provide guidance on how pets should be advertised for sale.

The standards are designed to ensure that pets are advertised in a way that is legal and ethical, helping to prevent people from unsuspectingly buying poorly bred pets online.

Buying pets online has become more popular in recent years, with last year seeing 800,000 adverts for dogs, cats, and rabbits posted online. Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of pet owners found their pet online, according to the 2023 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report.

Six of the new standards have been adopted into law in England, Scotland and Wales. Except when selling invertebrates, licensed sellers are now legally required to:

• Include the number of the licence holder’s licence
• Specify the local authority that issued the licence
  
• Include a recognisable photograph of the animal being advertised (for cats and dogs only in Scotland)
  
• Display the age of the animal being advertised (except in the case of fish)
  
• State the country of residence of the animal from which it is being sold
  
• State the country of origin of the animal.
  

On top of these legal requirements, popular advertising websites including Freeads, Friday Media Group, Gumtree, Pets4Homes and Preloved have voluntary agreed to follow all of the other new advertising standards.

PAAG, which was created in 2001 to combat the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming, and exchange, is made up of animal welfare organisations, trade associations, and veterinary bodies. The new guidance updates the minimum standards which were launched in 2012, a time when fewer people bought their pets online.

Paula Boyden, chair of PAAG and veterinary director for Dogs Trust, said: “Our new PAAG Advertising Standards clearly set out the legal requirements for pets advertised online, the minimum standards we would expect a classified website to adhere to in its pet advert section. Additionally, they provide further steps that websites can take to keep buyers safe and appropriately informed, and ensure pet adverts are of the highest quality.

“PAAG is not a regulatory body, so we are hugely grateful to our engaged websites for their hard work and commitment in this area, and we are delighted that they have all agreed to making an annual declaration committing to the Advertising Standards.”

Lord Benyon, minister of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, added: “I am delighted to support the updated advertising standards announced by the Pet Advertising Advisory Group today, which are backed by several of the country’s largest pet-selling platforms.

“These standards will help enhance existing protections and make it easier for inappropriate or illegal advertisements to be removed as soon as possible - assisting future pet owners to make informed decisions in the process.”