Infographic for buyers 1

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Leaflet for buyers 30

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What to check before buying a puppy/dog? 32

Well kept and healthy dogs are generally amazing companion animals and give a lot of joy! However, 33

before buying them, think twice. Typically, dogs live for around 12 years, but some live much longer. 34

So, if everything goes well and you buy a healthy and well-socialized dog, you have a nice companion 35

for many years. 36

Is a dog right for me? 37

Things to consider: 38

• Will you be able to take daily care of it? Dogs will take up a lot of time and energy because 39

they are dependent on your care. All dogs, even small ones, need regular exercise and plenty 40

of opportunities to walk, run and play outside. The amount of exercise each dog needs is 41

largely dependent upon their age and health but you should be prepared to take them for 42

regular walks every day, as often as three times a day for some dogs. 43

• Will a dog fit into your family life? 44

• Who will care after the dog when you/the family go/goes on holiday? 45

• Do you have sufficient home space to keep a dog? 46

• Are you prepared to cover the costs? It is estimated that the average costs of keeping a dog 47

is around 1000€ or more each year (food, toys, furniture, health and care costs, etc.). 48

What kind of dog will be most suitable for me? 49

The next step is to consider what kind of dog will fit best with your lifestyle. Every dog has different 50

qualities in terms of behaviour, need for exercise, amount of investment in time and need for 51

veterinary care. 52

It is a good idea to consult a veterinarian and with their help conduct extensive reliable research 53

online (see references below) before you get a dog. Veterinarians are able to give you advice on how 54

to choose a dog that fits with your family’s expectations and lifestyle. They can give you more 55

information on the health and welfare needs of certain breeds. They may be able to recommend one 56

or more of the breeders in the neighbourhood. 57

For further information, several organizations give advice that might be useful for choosing the right 58

dog for you (see references below). 59

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Where to get a dog? 62

Consider carefully where to get a dog from. Ideally, get a dog from a registered shelter, local 63

rehoming organisation or a reputable (registered1) breeder. Many local rehoming centres or shelters 64

have puppies as well as suitable adult dogs available for rehoming. Consider giving these animals a 65

chance. The shelter will be able to check the suitability of the dogs to be rehomed with your family 66

situation (e.g. children, other dogs, etc.). If you consider buying instead of adopting your dog, do 67

your research into the breeder or seller2 and seek recommendations. 68

When looking for a new puppy or dog, you are more likely to come across a deceitful breeder or seller 69

than you think. Be careful not to get a puppy from a puppy farm3 or unscrupulous breeders or 70

sellers, as this can cost you a lot of money and suffering for the dogs and puppies involved. Such 71

puppy sellers may use emotional tricks to manipulate you to buy a puppy out of pity – be wary, and 72

instead report suspected sellers to the police or local authorities. 73

There is an increasing trend for buying puppies or adult dogs online, at times from other countries, 74 so please be aware of the increased risks of doing this (including health and welfare risks for the 75 puppy or dog) because you may face expensive quarantine/fine/prosecution if the dog is imported 76 illegally. 77

78 In some countries, specialized or classified journals and ad sites exist where breeders/sellers can sell 79

dogs in a controlled way or a group of dogs looking for a home from a shelter, rescue or rehoming 80

centres. Make sure to check the regulations for your country. However, keep in mind that these 81

platforms are not perfect, so always be cautious! Check if the information that classified site 82

demands from breeders/sellers is adequate to facilitate traceability, transparency, and 83

accountability of breeders/sellers and to help reduce illegal and irresponsible selling of pets. For 84

more information check references below. 85

Also be careful when using social media, since in some countries advertising for animals is prohibited 86

on certain platforms. Some social media channels (e.g. Facebook) prohibit the sale or giving away 87

live animals. 88

Wherever a puppy or a dog is advertised always follow the steps below to ensure that the breeder is 89

responsible and that the puppy or a dog is happy and healthy. 90

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1 In some countries the registration and/or categorisation (hobby breeders, professional breeders, etc.) of breeders is mandatory by Law. Check out your national requirements. 2 Please note that in this text ‘’seller’’ is used for people who are buying and re-selling puppies or dogs by themselves. 3 A puppy farm (also known as a puppy factory or puppy mill) is defined as ‘an intensive dog breeding facility that is operated under inadequate conditions that fail to meet the dogs’ behavioural, social and/or physiological needs’. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-a-puppy-farm/

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What to check before buying a puppy/dog online? 97

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Animal-related factors to check: 99

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• Always go to the breeder's establishment and meet the mother and the puppies before 103

committing to buy. Never buy a puppy from an advertisement where you meet the breeder 104

to collect the puppy from somewhere other than where the puppy was born (for example a 105

motorway service station or carpark) or where the seller suggests to deliver the puppy to 106

your house. 107

• Check that the puppy is happy and healthy when visiting the puppy (and mother). Some 108

things that you should pay attention to include: eyes should be clear and bright, breathing 109

should be quiet and effortless, the mouth should be clean with white teeth and pink gums, 110

ribs not visible, the puppy should be alert to its surroundings, responding to stimulation etc. 111

• Check the details: when was the puppy born? Where was the puppy born? Where is the 112

mother? 113

• The age: Puppies should never be sold before they are fully weaned, which is usually until 8 114

weeks of age. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old before you can get it vaccinated 115

against rabies for the purpose of pet travel because most countries do not accept animals 116

older than 12 weeks without rabies vaccinations. You must inquire about the regulations of 117

the country you plan to travel to. You can travel with the animal not less than 21 days after 118

at least one dose of the rabies vaccination. 119

• Pictures: Do not be carried away by cute pictures (especially not the ones in an artificial 120

surrounding), check if the picture is realistic and of the dog advertised. Look if the pictures 121

are labelled correctly, e.g. a picture of one breed but its caption names it another breed. 122

• Ask for vaccination and other health records. Normally most puppies get their first 123

vaccination by eight weeks of age. Puppies can’t be vaccinated until they are over four 124

weeks old. Even then, normally you shouldn't vaccinate a dog earlier than six weeks. 125

Vaccination records should be stamped by the veterinary practice and signed by a veterinary 126

surgeon. Ask if anti-parasitic treatment (deworming, treatment against fleas, etc) has been 127

done? Ask if there were any health problems previously, etc. 128

• Ask for documentation regarding identification and registration. Ask if the dog has a 129

European passport and if so, which number and which country code if applicable. The 130

breeder should supply you with microchip paperwork which includes your puppy’s individual 131

identification number and database they are registered with. Bear in mind that if the dog 132

comes from another country, he must have a passport from the country of origin, generally 133

be properly vaccinated against rabies and be at least 15 weeks old (for EU countries - 134

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32013R0576). For third 135

countries, there are special rules about import which can be found at 136

https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/pet-movement/eu-legislation/non-eu-imports_en and 137

https://www.fve.org/publications/qa-rules-for-pet-travel-and-pet-passports/ 138

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Breeder related factors to check: 140

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Make sure you buy a dog from a responsible and registered (if applicable in your region) breeder. 144

• Red flags: when checking the breeders or sellers' websites, be on your watch for suspicious-145 looking text, text that looks like it has been online translated, wrong picture (picture does 146 not correlate with dog described), few details about the breeder, price discounts, etc. Be 147 careful of adverts in which the seller appears only by a pseudonym and a cell phone number. 148 No deal is too good to be true. 149

• Try to find out if the website is from a commercial breeder, a hobby breeder or dog sellers. 150 Most responsible breeders only breed from a few breeds and do not advertise dogs from 151 more than three breeds. In some countries, it is illegal for anybody other than the breeder to 152 sell puppies. Also, in some countries, breeders are required to have a licence to sell puppies 153 commercially and should display their licence number or provide it. 154

• Speak to the breeder on the phone. Responsible breeders will have extensive knowledge of 155

their particular breed. They will be happy to discuss how the puppies are kept and any 156

health checks that have been conducted (on the puppy and its parents). The breeder will 157

also ask you questions about your experience and suitability for owning a dog. 158

• Ask the breeder for references, testimonials or other credentials. Check this with a local 159

veterinarian. 160

• Ask about your rights as a buyer such as a consumer contract and/or warranty. 161

• Always go to the breeder's establishment and meet the mother and the puppies before 162

committing to buy. Do not transfer any money before having seen the puppy in person. 163

Make sure you get a receipt and the payment is traceable (use of a credit rather than a debit 164

card). Don't trust those who ask you to pay in cash or do not want to give you a receipt. 165

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Your country might have additional requirements e.g. all dogs have to be identified and 168

registered before being sold. Check out your national requirements. 169

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Want to find out more, check here: 172

• https://s3.eu-west-173 1.amazonaws.com/assets.dogandcatwelfare.eu/live/media/publicationtemp/EU_Dog_Cat_A174 lliance_briefing_AHL_pet_movement_review.pdf 175 (EU dog and cat alliance: publication on online dog sales) 176

• https://uploads-177 ssl.webflow.com/5bd0506a6cc155f8c0910dee/5be2ef29f6a0fc724ee10e99_Animal%20Welf178 are%20-%20Stakeholder%20toolkit%20-%20FINAL.pdf (Campaign of Scottish Government on 179 responsible buying of dogs) 180

• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy/choosing (Information about choosing 181 the right dog for you) 182

• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy/healthy (Information about choosing a 183 healthy puppy) 184

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• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy (More general information about 185 buying a puppy) 186

• https://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Puppy-Online-Safely (Illustrative Wikihow with steps to ensure you 187 can buy a puppy safe online) 188

• https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/buyer-advice/how-to-get-a-dog-responsibly (Advice on 189 getting a dog responsibly) 190

• https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/4371/paw-2018-full-web-ready.pdf (Information about the 191 estimated cost of keeping a dog) 192

• https://puppycontract.org.uk/ (A free tool kit developed to encourage those buying and breeding 193 puppies to do so responsibly) 194

• https://www.stop-puppy-mills.org/ (Information about ‘’Puppy mills – no thank you!’’ Initiative) 195

• https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/topics/companion-animals/model-solution-traceability 196 (THE FOUR PAWS MODEL SOLUTION for full traceability across the EU online puppy trade) 197

• https://paag.org.uk/faqs/ (FAQs for The Pet Advertising Advisory Group - PAAG) 198 • https://paag.org.uk/selling-a-pet/ (Guidelines for online pet adverts by PAAG) 199 • https://ipaag.ie/about-ipaag/minimum-standards/ (Minimum standards for specialized websites by 200

Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group) 201 202

More information in other languages: 203 204 • https://www.wur.nl/nl/Onderzoek-Resultaten/Onderzoeksprojecten-LNV/Expertisegebieden/Actuele-205

themas/Kennis-op-maat/Fairfok-zo-kies-je-een-gezonde-en-sociale-hond.htm (Advice on how to 206 choose a healthy and well-socialised dog – in Dutch and French) 207

• https://www.pup4life.be/ (Limburg veterinarians’ advice on choosing the right puppy for you – in 208 Dutch) 209

• http://eresresponsable.es/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Guía-Tenencia-Responsable.pdf (Guidelines 210 about responsible ownership – in Spanish) 211

• https://jadopte.be/ (Belgian platform for shelter animals rehoming – in French) 212 • http://www.huisdierinfo.be/gespecialiseerde-media (The list of specialized magazines and websites in 213

Belgium - in Dutch) 214 • http://bienetreanimal.wallonie.be/files/documents/sites-internet-specialises-reconnus.pdf (The list of 215

specialized sites in Belgium, Walloon region – in French) 216 • http://bienetreanimal.wallonie.be/home/animaux/animaux-de-compagnie/publicite.html 217

(Information on pet advertisement, Walloon region – in French) 218 • https://leefmilieu.brussels/themas/dierenwelzijn/de-handel-gezelschapsdieren/voorwaarden-voor-219

verhandeling/algemene-voorwaarden (Conditions for selling animals in Belgium, Brussels-Capital 220 region – In Dutch and French) 221

• https://leefmilieu.brussels/themas/dierenwelzijn/de-handel-gezelschapsdieren/voorwaarden-voor-222 verhandeling/publiciteit (Information on pet advertisement in Belgium, Brussels-Capital region – in 223 Dutch and French) 224

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Infographic for online platforms 239

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Leaflet for online platforms 241

242 243 It is becoming more and more common to offer pets for sale via advertisements on online platforms. 244

It is therefore important that trade is done in a regulated and responsible way, considering that 245

animals are sentient beings and not inanimate goods. 246

Online platforms can and should regulate trade in order to guarantee that the animals offered via 247

their channels are sold in a responsible way. This is essential to prevent animal suffering and to 248

protect consumers from buying an unsocialized, sick or even dying dog from an unscrupulous 249

breeder using online platforms. 250

Online platforms should as far as possible validate the information a seller provides to advertise 251

online, especially in regard to the identity of the seller and the identity of the animal. Both can be 252

checked through ID verification and back-end checks against the pet registration database, provided 253

that the latter holds reliable data. Online platforms should differentiate between private and 254

commercial sellers. Currently, in a lot of EU countries, commercial breeders need to have a breeder 255

registration number, according to EU or national legislation (by 2021 this will be obligatory for all 256

commercial breeders in all EU countries). You should validate this breeder registration number 257

against the national registry (if available). If a commercial breeder/seller is not registered, they 258

shouldn’t be allowed to sell online. 259

Classified ad sites should be encouraged to limit the number of user accounts to one per person. 260

Ideally, online animal sales should only be allowed in specialized and reputable journals or websites 261

(e.g. in some countries sites recognized by the local/national veterinary authority). A specialized 262

magazine or a specialized website is one whose announcements relate exclusively to the marketing 263

of animals or related goods and services and has special provisions for the offering of pets. 264

When trade is done via an online selling platform, at least some minimum requirements should be 265

respected to ensure it is done in a regulated and responsible way. 266

Several organisations provide a complete set of guidelines for online platforms to help them 267

promote a safe and regulated online pet trade. 268

Minimum information vendors/advertisers should include about the animal: 269

• A recent dated photograph of the advertised animal. 270

• The date of birth and country of origin (where the animal was born), sex, breed etc. 271

• The price for the animal and the rights of the buyer/consumer e.g. warranty. 272

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• The animal microchip identification code and database wherein the animal is registered. If 273

available also the parent's microchip number and registration database. 274

• The vaccination and anti-parasitic records, and other health-related information 275

(sterilisation status etc.) 276

• Breed-specific information and general information for responsible care, e.g. advice related 277

to feeding, housing, handling, husbandry, life expectancy, suitable accessories and 278

veterinary provisions. 279

• Detailed description of the animal additionally to the breed-specific characteristics, such as 280

the character and preferences (e.g. enjoys company, suitable for children, etc.) 281

• Additional support documents: vaccination certificates, health records, breeder registration 282

number, EU passport number, etc. 283

Minimum information vendors/advertisers should include about themselves: 284

• Contact details of the seller/advertiser: phone number, real name and surname (no 285

pseudonyms), email, region where the animal is located, etc. 286

• Status of the seller: hobby or commercial breeder, trader, shelter, charity, rescue group, etc. 287

• Breeder registration number: In most EU countries, commercial breeders will need to have a 288

breeder registration number. In this case classified ad sites should be required to verify the 289

registration number via the breeder registration database before an ad goes live. If a 290

commercial breeder/seller is not registered, they shouldn’t be allowed to advertise or sell 291

online. 292

What more could you do? 293

• Provide all sellers with a copy of their responsibilities and/or national government codes of 294

practice relating to the listing and sale of animals. 295

• Clearly list in your policy the rules regarding the advertisement and sale of live animals. 296

• Ensure a highly visible ‘report animal welfare concern’ button is on the same page as the ads 297

to allow users to contact website administrators. 298

• The minimum age of puppies offered for sale should be eight weeks old. Dogs imported 299

from abroad usually should be older (i.e. to be able to enter most EU countries the age 300

threshold 15 weeks old). The veterinary certification should be able to assess this. 301

• Verify the information provided by the advertiser: 302

- Verify the advertiser’s identity 303

- Verify the advertiser’s status (hobby/commercial breeder; how many ads per advertiser)4 304

• Verify the microchip identification number provided in the advertisement with the regional 305

or national registration database or with EuroPetNet. 306

• Online platforms should always: 307

- Actively monitor, ban, remove and report adverts offering sick, injured, diseased and 308

pregnant animals or where there is a reasonable concern for the health and/or welfare 309

of the animal(s) advertised; 310

- Suspend advertisers that do not supply all the information requested by the registration 311

form; 312

- Review, remove and report within 12 working hours any suspicion of illegal activity (e.g. 313

adverts for puppies and adult dogs with visibly docked tails, dogs with cropped ears, or 314

any reference to dog fighting), obvious illegal puppy trade or concern over the welfare of 315

4 or implement automated checks as suggested by FOUR PAWS Model Solution.

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any animal advertised to the appropriate agency. Ensure that adverts comply with 316

relevant EU and/or national legislation e.g. regarding microchipping and identification 317

and age of imported puppies. 318

- Actively monitor advertisements for ‘blacklisted’ words (e.g. “dog fighting” “four-week-319

old”) and images and remove any misleading or inappropriate ads. 320

- Monitor and permanently ban (e.g. three “strikes” to exclude an advertiser from the 321

platform) and report those vendors who attempt to post adverts that do not comply 322

with the minimum standards. 323

- Establish a system to monitor and possibly ban advertisers using multiple phone 324

numbers and email accounts. 325

• Add a warning to each ad; e.g. “An animal is not a toy. Please be aware that purchasing 326

or adopting an animal is a life changing decision. As the owner of an animal, you are 327

legally obliged to ensure the animal's welfare needs are met; failure to do is a 328

criminal offense and punishable by law.” 329

• Introduce a ranking system where sellers get ranked by the community, based on prior sales, 330

to help improve transparency and accountability. 331

And most importantly, ensure close co-operation and information exchange with your national 332

authority responsible for animal welfare to exclude illegal sellers and traders from the online 333

market. Together you can make sure that illegal activities and unscrupulous dealers get no chance! It 334

is also a way to foresee a ban on whoever has had past criminal convictions for reasons related to 335

animal cruelty or other specific crimes. 336

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Some countries might have additional requirements e.g. all dogs have to be identified 338

and registered before being sold or given away for adoption or any other reason. Check 339

out the national requirements. 340

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Want to find out more, check here: 344

• https://s3.eu-west-345 1.amazonaws.com/assets.dogandcatwelfare.eu/live/media/publicationtemp/EU_Dog_Cat_A346 lliance_briefing_AHL_pet_movement_review.pdf 347 (EU dog and cat alliance: publication on online dog sales) 348

• https://www.bva.co.uk/media/2971/bva_pets_in_advertising_2018.pdf (BVA - Pets in 349 advertising - A social concern) 350

• https://uploads-351 ssl.webflow.com/5bd0506a6cc155f8c0910dee/5be2ef29f6a0fc724ee10e99_Animal%20Welf352 are%20-%20Stakeholder%20toolkit%20-%20FINAL.pdf (Campaign of Scottish Government on 353 responsible buying of dogs) 354

• https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/4371/paw-2018-full-web-ready.pdf (PDSA animal wellbeing 2018 355 report) 356

• https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/buyer-advice/how-to-get-a-dog-responsibly (Advice on 357 how to get a dog responsibly) 358

• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy (More general information about 359 buying a puppy) 360

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• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy/healthy (Information about choosing a 361 healthy puppy) 362

• https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/is-there-a-safe-way-to-look-for-a-new-pet-online/ 363 (Information about safely looking for a pet online) 364

• https://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Puppy-Online-Safely (Illustrative Wikihow with steps to ensure you 365 can buy a puppy safe online) 366

• https://puppycontract.org.uk/ (A free tool kit developed to encourage those buying and breeding 367 puppies to do so responsibly) 368

• https://paag.org.uk/selling-a-pet/ (EUPAAG Minimum standards for pet trade websites) 369 • https://help.four-370

paws.org/sites/fourpaws/files/20171215_Annex_draft_Three_Measures_for_online_pet_trade_FINA371 L_WEB_NEW2.pdf (FOUR PAWS standards for classified/specialized pet trade ad sites) 372

• https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/topics/companion-animals/model-solution-traceability 373 (THE FOUR PAWS MODEL SOLUTION For full traceability across the EU online puppy trade) 374

• https://www.stop-puppy-mills.org/ (Information about ‘’Puppy mills – no thank you!’’ Initiative) 375

More information in other languages: 376 377

• https://www.tierschutzbund.de/information/hintergrund/heimtiere/illegaler-welpenhandel/ (Illegal 378 puppy trade – in German) 379

• http://bienetreanimal.wallonie.be/files/documents/sites-internet-specialises-reconnus.pdf (The list of 380 specialized/classified sites in Belgium, Walloon region – in French) 381

• https://www.tierheimhelden.de/ (Classified site – in German) 382 • https://leefmilieu.brussels/themas/dierenwelzijn/de-handel-gezelschapsdieren/voorwaarden-voor-383

verhandeling/publiciteit (Information on pet advertisement in Belgium, Brussels-Capital region – in 384 Dutch and French) 385

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