Hunting dogs in a kennel

New Investigation Exposes The Cruel Puppy Trade Thriving On Facebook & Instagram

August 28, 2024

By WAN

Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, have become hotspots for unethical puppy sellers across Europe – according to an investigation by global animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS.

Cruel sellers manage to bypass Meta’s policies and EU regulations on puppy sales – seemingly without facing consequences for their trades. FOUR PAWS urges an immediate suspension of dog sale promotions on Meta-owned social media platforms until the trade is properly monitored, controlled, and regulated to stop the suffering of puppies across Europe.

FOUR PAWS conducted an extensive investigation from September 2023 to June 2024 examining dog ads, as well as accounts and groups on Facebook and Instagram of individuals that could not be verified as registered businesses.

Content from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK was analyzed and investigators found more than a hundred Facebook groups and over fifty Instagram accounts containing puppy ads from such profiles. In June 2024, the combined audience of the surveyed Facebook groups exceeded 600,000 members, including sellers and potential buyers. The trade of animals by private individuals is a clear violation of Meta’s own policies.

“The cruel puppy trade is thriving on Facebook and Instagram. Meta may have taken steps towards banning the sale of dogs on its platforms, but its insufficient enforcement is leaving the door wide open for the illegal trade and cruel breeding practices,” said Nick Weston, Head of Companion Animal Campaigns at FOUR PAWS.

“Cruel traders are hiding in plain sight with no fear of repercussions. We urge Meta to take immediate action and put a full stop to the puppy trade on Facebook and Instagram until a solution for full seller and pet traceability is in place,” continued Weston.

Puppies are not immune to the influence of trends, with certain breeds like the ‘big rope’ Bulldogs suffering throughout their lives due to the prominent skin folds that buyers find desirable. This aesthetic preference can lead to severe health issues for these animals. In addition, some dogs undergo brutal mutilations, such as ear cropping, to conform to specific appearances that appeal to potential owners.

A recent investigation uncovered French Facebook groups where American Bully puppies with cropped ears were openly advertised by a seller based in Poland. Despite being illegal in both countries, the seller continued to share these advertisements within a private group, highlighting a concerning loophole in enforcement. These cases demonstrate how questionable practices thrive online, driven by a lack of legal repercussions, ultimately prioritizing aesthetics over animal welfare.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are vulnerable to fraud by being exposed to images of ‘cute’ puppies without a second thought for the cruel circumstances in which they are bred and kept,” adds Weston.

Across Europe, unethical sellers have developed concrete methods to evade Meta’s monitoring and community guidelines. Some of the methods include avoiding explicit sales terms, group descriptions instructing members which words to avoid in posts and talking in code by relying on emojis and hashtags to conceal their intentions. Sellers often redirect potential buyers to private chats, sometimes faking their locations to sell to a particular country or posing as verified breeders to appear credible.

TAKE ACTION! Call on social media platforms to close the door on illicit puppy traders, HERE!

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg

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