Welfare groups reveal the UK's worst pet adverts

A set of minimum standards has been launched by leading animal welfare groups, providing guidelines for UK websites carrying pet advertisements.

With backing from Defra, the standards have been published by the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), which is made up of representatives from welfare charities and specialist agencies.

As the new guidance was launched, PAAG also exposed some of the UK's worst online pet adverts, which included adverts for underage puppies, an illegal pitbull puppy, a cat in need of veterinary treatment, marmoset monkeys and even an arctic fox.

Some unscrupulous advertisers had even posted adverts offering to swap animals for mobile phones, watches or different breeds.

"The research undertaken by the PAAG has revealed some truly terrible examples where animal welfare was clearly the last thought in the mind of the advertiser," said Clarissa Baldwin, chairman of PAAG.

"Everyday we hear from people who have bought an animal online only for it to fall sick or die soon after. We hope that the minimum standards will be just that, a minimum standard that a website must reach before posting advertisements for pets."

Data such as that gathered by the PAAG, suggests that online pet advertising currently allows almost anything, from banned breeds and endangered species to underage and illegally imported animals.

It is hoped that the new standards will help to improve the welfare of pets and ensure members of the public avoid the risk of buying sick, dangerous or even illegal animals.

Lord de Mauley, Defra's minister for animal welfare, has voiced his support for the new guidance, saying: "It is vitally important that advertising websites do all they can to ensure the welfare of animals sold on their sites and to prevent the sale of banned breeds.

"I fully support PAAG's Minimum Standards and would encourage all advertising websites to sign up to these."

A team of volunteer website moderators will be formed and PAAG is to work closely with websites including Gumtree, Loot and Preloved, offering them support in reporting and moderating suspicious adverts.