Online purchase rules
Buying a dog online: How to spot the illegal puppy trade
throat.Pictures of cute puppies with floppy ears and googly eyes are also striking on the Internet. But if the animals are offered online at dumping prices, you should pinch your ears. Because then it can be assumed that it is the illegal trade of animals and that it is more about profit than the welfare of the four-legged friends. The European Consumer Center in Germany (EVZ) indicates this.
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But the general rule does not always apply. Meanwhile, dubious dealers were often just as demanding as reputable breeders. But there are signs of the illegal pet trade.
What are the signs that should make you suspicious?
Julia Creedel, an attorney at EVZ, advises that you should never pay for an animal before you actually own it. This is especially true of the alleged additional costs. It is often said that money is necessary for transportation, feeding, or insurance. In fact, it is the so-called advance fee fraud. Victims are urged to pay up front. In these cases, customers usually wait in vain for their long-awaited pet. And the money is gone.
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Animals are also traded across the European Union between member states. Four-legged friends are often separated from their mothers very early, raised in hostile conditions for animal welfare and then transported across the continent. Often without adequate food and water. Even before they reach their new home, four-legged friends are weak or sick.
How can I identify the illegal pet trade?
Dogs and cats brought into another member state must be identified by a microchip or tattoo and have a rabies vaccination, EVZ explains. Both must be in the EU pet passport. An official health certificate is also required.
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© Source: Lea Drabent, Alice Mecke / Alice Mecke, Lea Drabent
In the case of serious offers, the EU animal transport regulations are also taken into account. If the seller cannot or does not want to comply with these requirements, customers should keep their hands off them.
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Anyone who suspects that they have fallen victim to the illegal animal trade must report it to the police immediately.
What applies to online animal purchases in other EU countries?
Even if it is not a case of fraud, you should know that buying animals online is not allowed everywhere in the European Union. For reasons related to animal welfare, strict regulations apply in France, for example: only breeders and pet shops are allowed to sell animals online. Before concluding the contract, buyers must also be explicitly informed that the purchase of an animal must be well taken into account, since one has a long-term responsibility for an organism.
Poland is going one step further. Here it is strictly forbidden to buy or sell dogs and cats outside the place of their breeding. Pure communication can be done online, but online sales are prohibited.
In most other EU countries, just as in Germany, buying or selling animals online is not prohibited as it is less regulated. If the animals are sold commercially, official approval is required. However, there are no special rules that apply to sales between individuals.
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In Austria, individuals can also submit individual animals, but only under certain conditions. Dogs must have been registered in the Pet Database for at least 16 weeks.
RND / dpa