Downloading Cruelty: An Investigation into the Online Sales of Exotic Pets in the U.S.
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org
FROM
BornFreeUSA
October 2016
It is shockingly easy to purchase exotic animals, and the rise of online
sales has given untrained people greater access to these dangerous species.
Downloading Cruelty provides an overview and analysis of the volume of
online exotic pet sales in the U.S.
While the majority of the approximately 80 million pet-owning households
in the U.S. have a dog or cat, a growing portion now own an exotic animal.
It is extremely easy to purchase exotic animals, and the rise of online
sales has given untrained people greater access to these dangerous species.
Downloading Cruelty: An Investigation into the Online Sales of Exotic
Pets in the U.S. provides an overview and analysis of the volume of
online exotic pet sales domestically.
In light of the findings detailed in Downloading Cruelty, Born Free
USA recommends greater accountability by the classified ad websites, and
stronger state and federal laws to crack down on the online exotic pet
trade.
Download the Report
Downloading Cruelty: An
Investigation into the Online Sales of Exotic Pets in the U.S. - PDF
Online Exotic Pet Ads Born Free USA tracked nearly 2,000
classified ads for exotic pets. Click
HERE to view a gallery of these advertisements.
Findings
Downloading Cruelty reviews nearly 2,000 online classified ads during a
three-month period (March - June 2016) across four different websites
(exoticanimalsforsale.com, hoobly.com, usfreeads.com, and petzlover.com).
Highlights include:
- The volume of advertised animals is shocking. At least 3,706 individual
exotic animals were listed for sale over three months.
- The exotic pet trade is taking place across the nation and crisscrosses
state lines. The locations of the ads showed sellers in 49 states and
Washington, D.C.
- The breakdown of species for sale reveals a thriving trade in highly diverse
species: 603 primates, 335 exotic cats, 439 canids, 263 snakes, and many
others were for sale.
- Exotic pet breeders churn out baby animals for profit. Juvenile animals
(under one year of age) were the most popular, with 2,039 (55% of the total
animals) listed for sale.
- Advice on animal care and welfare was almost entirely lacking. Most ads did
not provide any history of the animal, give information about the animal's
health or behavior, or offer any instructions for care.
- The welfare of most animals advertised was not a priority. Some individuals
for sale were kept in isolation or were reported as being injured. Ads also
offered animals as "swaps" or "quick sales."
- Safety was overlooked by the sellers. Despite all of these animals being
unsuitable for a home, and most posing a potential danger to humans, only
nine ads warned that the animal could pose any sort of risk to the buyer.
How You Can Help
- Read Downloading Cruelty and share it with others.
- Urge your federal legislators to support the
Captive Primate Safety
Act and the
Big Cat Public Safety Act.
- Never buy an exotic animal online (or at all). Even the smaller
animals, like snakes, turtles, and sugar gliders, suffer in captivity.
- Learn more about the threats that exotic pet ownership poses to
animal welfare and human safety here.
View the inconsistent patchwork of state laws [Summary
of State Laws Relating to the Private Possession of Exotic Animals].
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