July 15, 2015

Effective today, Used.ca will no longer allow profiting from the sale of household pets through their entire network of local community sites, a move that implements the strictest policies for online classified sites in Canada and further protects the welfare of animals.

While Used.ca recognizes that there are many reputable and accredited breeders continuing excellent lineages in Canada, the company is unable to distiguish between these legitimate breeders and those simply profiting from the trafficking of animals with no regard to issues that plague animal welfare such as pet overpopulation, puppy mills, and animal safety.

“We have worked in conjunction with the BC SPCA to determine what the ethical and moral course of action should be to ensure that pets are kept safe from harm, and we have arrived at the decision to prohibit profiting from the sale of household pets on our sites,” says Elizabeth Dutton, president of Used.ca. “We’re a family-friendly site and this move is a fit with our culture.”

The new pet policies go into effect immediately, with Used.ca’s live moderation team removing pet ads from breeders, or those suspected of profiting from the sale of pets. Used.ca will work to ensure that all users whose ads will be removed are directly notified of the new policies via email.

“This decision by Used.ca is an exciting moment for animals, and serves as another victory in our long fight against puppy mills in BC and across Canada,” says Geoff Urton, senior manager, stakeholder relations for the BC SPCA. “The message is loud and clear to anyone exploiting animals by breeding and selling them online – it’s time to stop.”

Those wishing to rehome pets or post ads looking for pets are still welcome to use their local Used.ca site. The ‘For Sale’ button has been replaced with ‘For Adoption/Rehoming,’ with the encouragement of a small adoption or rehoming fee. If users see any ads that look suspicious, Used.ca welcomes and encourages them to use the ‘Report Ad’ button located on the top right of any ad.

If any pets ads still make it through the system enhancements, Used.ca may attempt to make contact with the ad poster to determine the true nature of the ad, remove any user-reported ad, and, if necessary, work with police or animal rescue partners to ensure the safety of the pet in question. Used.ca may also ban the user/API from their sites should they post ads that contravene these policies. By implementing these safeguards, Used.ca is leading the way in the online classifieds world.

This ban enhances the company’s stricter pet policies that were introduced in 2014, which included:

• Ads no longer going live without a human moderator reviewing them
• No posting of pet ads on any site outside of the user’s own province
• No breeding or studding of any animals
• Pets had to be at least eight weeks of age and date of birth must be clearly stated
• Photos must be of the actual pet(s)

“Online pet sales have been an ongoing issue in the classified industry for years. Websites like ours are not qualified or capable of regulating the breeding of pets,” says Dutton. “We realize this move will not solve all the issues, but it is a small step that may encourage other sites to strengthen their pet policies as well.”

For additional details on the new safeguards and enhancements, visit: http://r.Used.ca/TermsOfUse#postingPolicy_pets.

About the BC SPCA

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

About Used.ca

Used.ca operates free classified sites in more than 84 locations throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. With head offices in Victoria, BC, and coast-to-coast sites from UsedVictoria.com to UsedPEI.com, this technology company focuses on families, community, sustainability and safety, while ensuring that sellers connect with buyers in a streamlined and efficient process. For more information, visit www.Used.ca.

Media contact:

Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-888-8729 (cell) or brian@tartangroup.ca