Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Require websites hosting adverts for pets to check their accuracy

Closed 37 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government should introduce regulation of all websites that host adverts selling pets, requiring the website to check the accuracy of adverts, including proof of background checks by a vet where relevant.
Websites hosting adverts for pets should not be permitted to publish advertisements without some form of background check. Many sellers are unscrupulous individuals trading animals which may have been stolen, bred in terrible conditions, too young to leave the parent or are reselling baby animals purely for profit. e.g. buying a kitten then selling it for a much higher price within days or weeks. Many animals are also falsely advertised as being particular breeds in order to inflate prices.

Timeline

14 Dec 2021 Petition opened for signatures
14 Jun 2022 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 37
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 14 Dec 2021
Closed 14 Jun 2022

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.