PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

 

Press release: Kijiji’s Ridiculous Solution to Stop the Sale of Puppy Mill Dogs.

 

Montreal, March 14th 2014 – The SPA Canada finds Kijiji’s new policy concerning animal welfare absolutely ridiculous and damaging to the fight for animal protection. By charging $4,99 per advertisement on their website, they claim they will be collecting information to stop the illegal sale of animals. “They are simply increasing their own profits by charging for the ads. Puppy mill owners will not be in any way affected by this new policy and they will continue to have a market for their cruel trade”, declares Gabriel Villeneuve, Director of Campaigns of the SPA Canada. The problem with classified websites such as Kijiji is the ease with which puppy mill operators can disguise themselves as a small family run breeder and sell their animals to unsuspecting families. The rows of filthy cages, filled with terrified, sick, breeding adults are kept hidden from view.

Kijiji’s claim to be collecting information on those practicing the “illegal sale of dogs” means little when the laws concerning the sale of animals are as lax as they are. A female dog that spends her entire life in a cage, for the sole purpose of providing litter after litter of puppies, is not illegal in Canada. It is only by banning all advertisements for the sale of animals that Kijiji can have the right to claim an active role in putting an end to puppy mills across Canada.

Kijiji’s new policy also implies that the sale of animals for profit and individuals’ efforts to rehome their pets for free be treated equally, a shameful proposition. The SPA Canada requests that only registered animal shelters, animal rescue organizations and those wishing to rehome their pets be allowed to post on Kijiji’s website. This would encourage the adoption of the millions of abandoned pets in animal shelters across the country instead of allowing the for-profit sale of all animals, not only of dogs, to persist. “Craigslist has adopted such a policy concerning their own classified advertisements for animals, why isn’t Kijiji doing the same?” asks Gabriel Villeneuve.

 

About SPA Canada:

SPA Canada is a national nonprofit animal rights organization dedicated to creating awareness and educating people on respecting all animal species.

 

– 30 –

 

SPA Canada SPA Canada will be pleased to provide media interviews.

For more information, please dial

1-877-630-NEWS (6397) or media@spacanada.org

 

Press release http://zc.vg/U9hie?m=0