Friday, March 23, 2012

Facebook Rejects Puppy Mill Ads for Good!
March 23, 2012

In response to concerns raised by the ASPCA and its national “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign, measures will be put in place to ensure that puppy mill dogs will no longer be sold via Marketplace on Facebook. The ASPCA is working with Facebook and Oodle, the online classifieds service that powers Marketplace on Facebook, to restrict listings of puppy mill dogs on the popular social media site. Through an ongoing removal process, ads placed by puppy mills have already started coming down. The process was designed to ensure that individuals may continue to post dogs available for a nominal adoption or rehoming fee.

The ASPCA believes that reducing Internet venues through which puppy mills can offer their dogs will help combat the inhumane puppy mill industry. Many puppies sold online come from puppy mills—these are large-scale, commercial facilities that commonly keep dogs in unsanitary, overcrowded and often cruel conditions without sufficient veterinary care, food, water or socialization.

"Removing an online platform for the cruel puppy mill industry sets a positive example of corporate citizenship and will help improve the lives of countless dogs," says ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "Most consumers are unaware they are perpetuating animal cruelty by purchasing a puppy online, and given the visibility of Marketplace on Facebook, this move has the potential to raise critical awareness about unscrupulous online breeders.”

Puppy mills that sell directly to consumers over the Internet are exempt from any federal oversight, allowing unregulated breeders to sell tens of thousands of puppies a year via online transactions. The Internet Crime Complaint Center notes that hundreds of complaints are filed every year from victims who are scammed when buying a dog online.

“Consumers who purchase a puppy from a website run the risk of acquiring an unhealthy animal and often end up with expensive vet bills and broken hearts,” said Cori Menkin, Senior Director of the ASPCA Puppy Mills Campaign. “We hope additional online retailers and classifieds listings will follow this example and stop providing a platform for puppy mill sales.”

To learn more about the ASPCA’s campaign to eradicate puppy mills and sign our pledge not to buy any items—including food, supplies or toys—from stores or websites that sell puppies, please visit
www.NoPetStorePuppies.com .

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