Since Preloved began accepting adverts for animals on site, we have continually worked to ensure high animal welfare standards are maintained. We were one of the first online sites to introduce a minimum age for re-homing animals, control the sale of illegal breeds and ensure dogs are not illegally docked.
Preloved constantly work on improving the safety and welfare of of animals being bought or sold on site. We also act as a knowledge source for our members on how to care for pets and animals. Ensuring the buying and selling of animals is done correctly is on-going and Preloved do this in a few ways.
The Preloved Pet Pledge
The Preloved Pet Pledge offers a much more controlled environment for the buying and selling of animals online. We provide help and advice on responsible pet ownership to our members. For example, we ensure the sale of endangered species is properly controlled according to DEFRA rules. You can check the full Preloved Pet Pledge here.
Work closely with animal welfare charities
Since 2014, Preloved have officially met all industry standards set by the Pet Advertising Advisory Agency (PAAG). PAAG is a government endorsed advisory group formed from various dedicated animal welfare charities. Some of the charities involved include Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and The Kennel Club. For the full list of charities and more information of PAAG on our blog.
PAAG have been impressed with Preloved’s continous efforts and attitudes towards animal welfare since being acquired by The Hut Group in March 2014.
“Since taking over, the Hut Group have worked to increase the amount of advice on the site and to also implement new and innovative ways of communicating with prospective pet owners, this includes online webchats, newsletters and partnerships with charities. This again shows the Hut Group’s commitment to the PAAG project and is extremely positive from a pet welfare perspective” – PAAG Final Report 2014.
The Animal Welfare Act
Just 5 short months ago, the Animal Welfare Act saw some necessary changes made to tighten up breeding laws. The new legislation means that anyone selling three or more litters, rather than the previous five or more, within a 12-month period or anyone who sells dogs for commercial gain will be classified as a business and require a license.
The Preloved team are proud to be procedural leaders, rather than followers, when it comes to animal welfare. Which is why Preloved have had the ‘three or more’ rule in place for a number of years.
We have more information on the new dog breeding licensing guidelines to read.
Dedicated team of moderators
Our team of advert moderators work incredible hard. They ensure that 100% of animal adverts are checked to make sure that all adverts meet the standards set by PAAG. We also work with our community members to help us stamp out animal cruelty, there are a few warning signs to look out for before you purchase an animal.
Every pet deserves a forever home, be sure to find out as much as you can about the seller or buyer before you make your decision.
