15 Facebook groups and seven Instagram profiles were identified that, among other things, offered advertisements from unregistered dealers and puppies under the legal minimum age. Despite the Meta Group’s guidelines, the providers found loopholes, the NGO criticized on Monday. The investigations from September 2023 to June 2024 revealed 15 Facebook groups in Austria with a total of 15,600 followers in which puppies were for sale. In six of these groups, offers came from unregistered dealers, while in four groups even puppies under the legal minimum age were advertised. In addition, seven Instagram profiles with 13,000 followers were discovered that were also involved in the puppy trade.
Tricks to bypass the rule
Although Meta officially prohibits the sale of pets on Facebook Marketplace, according to “Four Paws”, “dubious sellers use tricks to circumvent the rules”: “They avoid clear sales terms, disguise their offers with emojis and hashtags, fake locations and redirect interested parties to private chats,” the press release said. Meta also often reacts only half-heartedly to violations, so that dealers can quickly continue selling after a report.
“Four Paws” campaign manager Veronika Weissenböck emphasized: “We see once again that the puppy trade has gotten out of control. Unscrupulous traders operate in secret and without fear of consequences. We call on Meta to finally stop the puppy trade on Facebook and Instagram until the traceability of both the traders and the animals can be guaranteed.”
When buying a puppy, potential buyers should be particularly cautious if a viewing of the puppy and the mother is refused. Offers such as home delivery or the refusal of a video call “should therefore set off alarm bells.” Ads with terms such as “designer dogs” and luxurious photos are also signs of questionable offers.
According to “Four Paws”, puppies from dubious sales often suffer from health problems because they are separated from their mothers too early and are not vaccinated. For buyers, this not only means emotional stress, but often also high veterinary costs – because dubious dealers usually disappear after the sale.
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