“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!
