AQW 6086/16-21

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 25/10/2016
Answered On Date: 17/11/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline the actions she has taken to raise awareness of the risks of buying a pet via an online advertisement, as per the recommendations in the Review of the Implementation of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 final report.

Answer:

Following publication of the Final Report of the Review of the Implementation of the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011, my Department has formalised its links with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) and the Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group (IPAAG) and works with these organisations to promote better self regulation of online sites advertising pets. This fulfils one of the Review’s recommendations.

These organisations are advisory groups made up of leading animal welfare organisations, trade associations and veterinary bodies. They aim to ensure that pet animals are only advertised for sale legally and ethically by engaging with websites and publications to ensure those organisations have up to date knowledge on animal welfare issues in relation to advertising pets for sale. They also highlight illegal adverts to website providers so that they can be removed promptly, and they encourage websites advertising pets for sale to self regulate and comply with agreed minimum standards that underpin a legal and ethical approach to the trade in pets. They also help to raise public awareness of the need to act responsibly when buying pets from websites and publications. I am happy that my Department continues to support and endorse this work.

In line with another recommendation of the Review, my Department has established a single animal welfare presence on the NIDirect website to improve communication with the public around animal welfare issues. This includes informing the public about buying and caring for animals. It advises the public to be careful when buying a pet that has been advertised in the media, such as on the internet, in a local paper or on a notice board, and recommends that they should only buy an animal from a known breeder or source, and check its history by talking to its previous owner.

The NIDirect website also provides links to the PAAG website and others, such as Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club, to encourage the public to make use of the guidance they offer on sourcing a pet. There is information to highlight the risks that can be associated with buying a pet advertised online, and encourages anyone who has bought a pet from a classified ad or website that has turned out to be a problem, or anyone who is aware of an illegal or unethical ad, to report the matter to PAAG or to Trading Standards.