Illegal animal adverts online: One Voice is filing a complaint against Leboncoin

A few months ago, the École du Chat Libre in Toulouse [a French stray cat organisation] asked for our help with painstaking work in taking down illegal adverts on Leboncoin. So that this work was not done in vain, we have united forces by initiating a legal proceeding in order to put an end to this shameful trade involving living beings.

Although identifying cats and dogs is compulsory, in fact, on the internet, no checks are carried out and many puppies and kittens are given away without being microchipped. However, this obligation makes it possible to limit discrepancies with animals coming from “puppy factories”, those given away before the minimum age, or those coming from a private individual that refuses to neuter their animals. It also contributes to putting an end to the irresponsibility of those acquiring the animal, some of whom would abandon an un-microchipped animal with no qualms a few months later.

A ridiculed legal obligation and it is still animals that are the victims

However, since 2021, the law has been very clear: hosting sites must implement a checking system prior to the publication of an advert in order to verify the microchip or tattoo number of the animals. Adverts with a fake number cannot therefore be put online, and even less can those regarding cats and dogs that are un-identified! Despite this, dozens of non-conforming adverts flood the site every day! Although the majority of them are taken down, how many are passing under the radar? No less than five complaints have been filed along with our partner, the École du Chat Libre in Toulouse. A sixth will be sent very soon.

Working towards the end of selling and rehoming animals on the internet

One month ago, Leboncoin stated that they were putting an end to the trade of wild animal species. It is hard to celebrate when we know that we have had to wait until 2023 to achieve such a step forward, and that it was therefore completely possible to obtain a parrot or tortoise just a few weeks ago.

Cats and dogs do not have any such ‘luck’. Less scrupulous sellers continue their fruitful business without batting an eyelid, with the complicity of this platform. Once again, it is the animals that pay the highest price: given away online to the first person that comes along, with no verification, while thousands of them are killed in pounds every year due to there not being enough space in rescue centres.

You can act too!

• By sending a letter to the managing director of Bon Coin. You will find a short template here. You can send it either via their contact form or by mail to the address stated on the letter.
• By copying and pasting this post to share on Twitter/X: Animals are not objects!@leboncoin put an end to trading them.Rescue centres are overflowing, dozens of innocent animals are killed every day in pounds.With @onevoiceanimal, I say no to adverts for living beings.#RefusePetShops https://one-voice.fr/fr/blog/annonces-illegales-animaux-en-ligne-one-voice-porte-plainte-contre-leboncoin.html

While waiting for a complete ban on rehoming animals on the internet, we have filed a complaint so that obligatory checks finally have to be implemented. Join our fight and sign our petition for better protection for our companions.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice