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Wal-Mart Removes Pets for Sale Ads on new Classified Site

June 10, 2008, 12:52PM MT

By Kelli Ohrtman

Your actions make a difference!

Your actions make a difference!

Last week, Wal-Mart launched a free online classifieds website, walmart.oodle.com. Suddenly, thirty million ads, reaching five million consumers each month were available through Wal-Mart. This included tens of thousands of ads offering puppies, kittens, birds, horses, and every other animal imaginable for sale. Wal-Mart is not alone in offering pets for sale through classified ads; pick up any newspaper in any city, and there will likely be a full page of classified ads for pets. It is one of the most frustrating indications of our culture’s overzealous back yard pet breeding, despite the 12-13,000 animals euthanized every single day in shelters.

But, it turns out, Wal-Mart is different than the thousands of print and web outlets that help people sell their pets. Just days after the Wal-Mart Classifieds launched, people began contacting the corporate office with their concerns about the “pet for sale” ads. By last Friday, just days after the site launched, Wal-Mart had removed all the pet ads from their website.

THANK YOU WAL-MART!
Wal-Mart’s decision is one of the most humane actions a large corporation has taken, and they need to hear about it! While thousands of other companies allow pet sale ads to be posted with abandon, Wal-Mart put their corporate foot down. The response from Wal-Mart reads, in part:

Given the current "beta" status of Walmart.com classifieds, we will continue to make changes to the service over the coming months. Based on the feedback you and others provided, we have removed the pets category while we evaluate how to improve pet listings in ways that serve our local communities along with the well being of animals.
*For the full statement, click here.

Because Wal-Mart has not made a no-pet sale policy yet, they need to hear positive feedback from their customers. They need to hear from you. Take five minutes, today, to give them a call, send them an e-mail or a letter, and let them know that you appreciate their decision to remove all pet for sale listings on the Wal-Mart classified site. They are very friendly and appreciate feedback.

Corporate Office
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611
479-273-4000
Click here to E-mail Wal-Mart. **(There is a drop-down menu at the top. Select “Feedback.” A second drop-down menu will appear. Select “Corporate Office.”)**
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What about the (many) other companies allowing pets for sale online?
Online pet sales are a serious problem, perpetrated by hundreds, if not thousands of companies that seek to capitalize on selling puppies, kittens, birds and other animals. Ads can, and are, placed by families whose dog had a litter, and by large-scale breeders, or puppy mills. Some websites are set up just for pet ads; a quick search for pets online brings up thousands of ads. It’s a direct correlation to pet overpopulation and euthanasia.
Internet Pet Sales: Five things you can do
To view Best Friends Animal Society’s position statement for Internet pet sales, click here.

1.) Inform businesses that support online pet sales or puppy mills of your disappointment by downloading this form letter and customizing it as appropriate. Tell companies and websites that you will not tolerate the sale of pets and will boycott them until the policy is changed.

2.) Refuse to visit, place ads with, or buy things from websites or retailers that sell animals online or provide advertising space to sell animals online.

3.) Spread the word. Tell friends and family about the issue, and encourage them to contact the company, and to avoid shopping there.

4.) Inform the Internet Service Provider. Although it is not illegal to sell animals online, some Internet Service Providers may choose to bar the practice if enough public pressure is waged.
To make a report to the ISP, you need to determine who hosts the website. To do that, go to www.domaintools.com, enter the website URL in the “Whois Lookup” search box and click on the search button. Scroll down the results page until you find the numerical Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the website. Then go to www.arin.net (American Registry for Internet Numbers) and enter that IP address in the “Search WHOIS” box and click on the search button. The search results page will provide information about the ISP that hosts the website. The page also might display information about how to voice concerns. If it does not, go to www.search.org/programs/hightech/isp and find the complete contact information for the ISP on the list.

5.) Learn more about the commercial pet breeding industry:
-Visit network.bestfriends.org/truth
-Join the Network
-Sign up for the Best Friends monthly newsletter, Breeding Bytes.

Posted by Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends Animal Society

Comments

Posted June 10, 2008, 4:3PM by deafk9s

Great News!

Posted June 10, 2008, 7:57PM by mimi

Kelli, thanks for the chance to see Dermie's beautiful, smiling face again. It made my day.

Posted June 10, 2008, 6:30PM by ruthy92

Maybe Walmart figured out that the puppy mills and DOG FIGHTERS would be filling their pets listings

And Walmart would come up in the news when one of those operations gets busted

Not to mention the people selling sick animals through the classifieds and spreading disease

Walmart ALREADY has had issues with that! http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20060601.shtm

Posted June 16, 2008, 2:22PM by kittychump

I just sent my "thank-you" right away. I know Walmart has a long way to go on many issues - but, folks, this particular step is a BIG one: and other businesses will be affected due to Walmart's worldwide "spheres of influence." Please take the time to send your thank-you note. And, make sure you designate "Corporate Headquarters" rather than "Local Store" as the destination - no worries, the page will remind you if you forget to choose one or the other.

Thanks!!!

Posted June 10, 2008, 6:32PM by ruthy92

Google ads are supporting the puppy mill and dog fighter market.

They let people advertise that have been convicted of animal cruelty.

Google is among the worst.

Posted June 24, 2008, 8:31PM by ruthy92

Can BF find out from Best Friends how we can report these pets for sale ads? And get them taken down?

Also remember to report the breeders placing these ads to state tax authorities and make sure they are properly paying taxes and have tax numbers.

Classified ad pet sales are a big source of tax fraud.

Posted June 10, 2008, 3:5PM by cattees

There is truly power in numbers - good job everyone!

Posted June 16, 2008, 7:19PM by missydog

I sent my e-mail to Wal-Mart. Now how do we start contacting Google?

Posted June 16, 2008, 10:27PM by Columbustopdogs

Let's not jump on the "thank you Wal-Mart" bandwagon just yet. When I entered "puppies" in Items for Sale in zip code 43035 (+ 50 miles), three ads appeared for:

1. German shepherd puppies (Amanda, OH),
2. Cocker Spaniel puppies, AKC registered (Urbana, OH)
3. English Bull Dogs Puppies (Granville, OH)

Looks like some more house cleaning is definitely needed...

Posted June 24, 2008, 9:6PM by Phoenix03

ruthy92
Could you please tell me how you found out about the Google ads supporting puppy mills, etc? I have a special interest in eliminating puppy mils and prosecuting the offenders.
Thanks

Posted June 15, 2008, 2:3PM by cambridgeratmom

Dermie!!!!!