The purpose of this petition is 3-fold:

  1. To help the public understand that obtaining pets from any source other than legitimate animal shelters, pounds, rescues or foster groups should be avoided at all times. Never purchase a pet from a pet store on online classified sites. The time-honored adage rings true: Adopt, Never Shop! If we teach our youth to ask for a rescue dog or cat rather than a puppy or a kitten, they will.
  2. To urge Kijiji and Craigslist, the world’s 2 largest classified sites, to shut down their “Pets” section completely. While it is true that a small percentage of these ads are placed by individuals who can no longer care for their pet and need to “re-home” it, the vast majority of these ads are placed by puppy mills, illegal breeders and "re-sellers" masquerading as legitimate re-homers. They are motivated by profit alone and have no regard whatsoever for the health and well being of these animals.
  3. To help strengthen, standardize and enforce the Animal Welfare Act in jurisdictions across North America

This petition is directed to:

Jim Buckmaster- CEO of Craigslist

Scott Neil of Kijiji Canada

By shutting down your “Pets” ad category you will be severely dis-incentivizing these inhumane profiteers and forcing them out of business.

FACT: Neither of your sites has any way of distinguishing between the legitimate and illegitimate ads: every day fake "backyard" breeders and re homers find new and creative ways to mask their identities and market these unfortunate animals on your sites.

FACT: Animal shelters, pounds, rescues and foster groups are overwhelmed with the epidemic of pet overpopulation resulting in the euthanasia of over 5 MILLION companion animals EVERY YEAR across North America alone. The removal of your "Pets" sections will have a dramatically positive effect on the reduction of this number.

We, the undersigned, as valuable customers of your sites strongly urge you to be responsible corporate citizens and shut down this ad category completely.

11941 have signed. Let’s get to 500,000!

At 500,000 signatures , this petition becomes one of the top signed on Youth4Animals.org

Reasons for signing:

"I am a veterinarian and work with our local animal shelter. The biggest dog breeding facility in our area (500 breeding dogs) advertises exclusively on the Internet--both Kijiji and LesPac(a popular site in our province). They proudly--and legally--sell over 800 puppies every year, without the need for potential buyers even coming to their facility and seeing the parents. Less than two years ago in our city there was a deranged individual who answered Kijiji ads to buy dogs from private homes; after purchasing them, he killed them mercilessly. These are sufficient reasons for Kijiji to stop allowing the sale of live animals over the Internet.” “Ethics. A matter of greed to address. People need to think pet purchasing through instead of impulse buying. These are living breathing creations. Dogs actually have emotions, like people. Do the right thing. Stop the ads, change this world!” By allowing this, you condone it. By banning it, you join the movement to stop the cruelty.” I”'ve had a firsthand experience with a puppy from Kijiji. Seller seemed nice, everything looked great and I was fooled into buying a Great Dane with mental issues. The seller disappeared without a trace (even changed their phone number) shortly after selling the dog to me. The puppy was adorable, but had such severe and extreme mental issues that he had to be put to sleep at only one year and a half. This broke my heart to pieces, and I don't want this to ever happen again, neither to me nor to anyone. Losing a dog is too painful, and that poor pup mentally suffered all of his short life. I learned from my mistakes, and I hope I can help save others, dogs and people alike, from this.” “Animals should not be sold like a product. They are sentient beings and should be treated with respect. This site allows the puppy/cat/ mills to stay in business.”