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Brutal Puppy Trading Hidden Within Facebook and Instagram

Puppies
Bartłomiej Derski, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Four Paws, a well-known animal welfare organization, has begun an investigation into cruel puppy trades throughout Europe. Sellers have been using Facebook and Instagram for illegal puppy sales, somehow escaping without any consequences. 

Four Paws Tracks The Scent 

Puppy
Puppy. Image by no name provided, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Four Paws is an international animal welfare organization. They have hundreds of successful programs all around the world and are now on the hunt for individuals taking part in cruel puppy trades hidden in social media. Facebook and Instagram have become a popular place for selling innocent little pups, somehow working around the regulation with no consequences. But no more! Four Paws is on their tail.

Hidden In Plain Sight

Puppies
Puppies. Image by Bhaskaranaidu, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With social media being a constant presence, these puppy traders have managed to hide in plain sight. Four Paws has found over 100 groups on Facebook and around 50 Instagram accounts involving the sale of puppies. These accounts were located in various places around the world including the UK, Austria, France, and Bulgaria, to name a few. Four Paws is fighting for puppy ads across these Meta platforms to be suspended until the investigation is complete. I feel that these issues will always be around, people aren’t as concerned about animal welfare as they should be and it’s not fair on these innocent little pups. Why should they suffer? Will the investigation ever be complete? What do you think? Reply in the comments.

Too Many People Too Many Crimes

Newborn Puppies
Newborn Puppies. Image by West Midlands Police from West Midlands, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Too many people are involved in these cruel puppy trades, Facebook only 600,000 members have been identified in these trade groups. This number should be much, much less, preferably 0. Although Meta has regulations in place to stop these kinds of actions, many people have snuck passed them, without any repercussions. How did this happen? More importantly, why? With so many animals on the streets in need of loving homes, people still use these puppy trades. It is these types of actions that cause people to lose hope in humanity.

Struggles For The Pups

Puppy
Puppy. Image by Betty Wills (Atsme), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This fight is not only focused on the legalities being ignored but mainly fighting for the safety and health of the animals being bred and traded. Breeders and buyers do not consider the health and safety of the puppies being traded, they are focusing on their desires and what they want. Interestingly, the sale of bulldogs is a popular breed. However, it does not take into consideration the health issues that bulldogs have. The focus of the breeders and buyers is simply based on money and what they want with a complete lack of regard for the pups.

The Uneducated

Puppy
Puppy. Image by finn bjerke, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We all hate pop-up ads, right? Sometimes ads will pop up about puppy sales and those unaware of the fight against puppy sales may innocently go and look into the ad, as a result, the individual may end up on Four Paws raidar. People don’t always consider where the puppies came from, or what their history is. We often just think ‘cute puppy’ unaware of the struggles and cruelty behind it. 

Running Around The Rules

Puppies
Puppies. Image by Prachi Mantri from India, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Somehow these puppy traders have managed to find a way around the rules and regulations that Meta has put in place across these platforms. Talking in code and pulling potential buyers into private chats, these illegal sales have managed to stay under the radar. Sellers often hide their identity and location, creating fake accounts to come across as verified puppy sellers. With Four Paws, hopefully, this trend will soon come to an end.

Fighting For An End

Puppy
Puppy. Image by Portraitlady4306, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Four Paws is a well-known and successful animal welfare organization. With them on the tail of these cruel trades, you can be sure that at least some of them will come to an end. Humans are selfish, that’s no secret. So many puppies in the world need our help, adopt them rather than buying. If we can stop the support and sales of these puppies, then the businesses with die and the cruelty will finally come to an end. What are your thoughts on the fight against puppy trades? Reply in the comments.