In a bid to prohibit animal trading, e-commerce portal OLX India has removed all animal listings from its website, PETA India said on Monday.
In a statement, the Indian chapter of animal rights NGO People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA India) said it was after its pressure and appeal to OLX India along with animal welfare board and other government authorities the step was taken.
"Following years of pressure from the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, e-commerce portal OLX India has removed all live animal listings from its website and updated its policy to prohibit all trading in live animals.
"The commendable move follows appeals from PETA India not only to OLX India but also to all state animal welfare boards or animal husbandry departments, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)," the organisation said.
It said that following its request, the AWBI requested the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to stop e-commerce platforms such as OLX India and Quikr from trading in live animals without due registration under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018.
"Vulnerable animals pay the price when they're shopped around by e-retailers," said PETA India Corporate Liaison Mallika Roy.
"OLX India made the compassionate call to prohibit live animal listings, and it's high time for Quikr (another e-commerce website) to do the same," Roy was quoted as saying by PETA India.
The organisation said that every time someone buys a dog or a cat from a breeder or a pet store or online, a needy animal roaming the streets or waiting in an animal shelter loses a chance at finding a home.
"Unwanted animals are often abandoned on the streets, where they struggle to survive. Many of them go hungry, are deliberately injured or killed, are hit by vehicles, or are abused in other ways. PETA India urges those with the time, patience, love, and resources to engage in true adoption by visiting their local animal shelter," it said.
PETA India pointed out in its letters, most pet stores and dog breeders aren't registered as required by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, respectively.
"They are easily able to circumvent animal protection regulations by trading animals online - and these unregulated operations are frequently rife with animal mistreatment and neglect.
"Typical forms of cruelty include displaying dogs with often-illegal ear and tail mutilations for trade, breeding dogs in such a way that they develop severe health problems, keeping animals in deplorable conditions, and selling sick animals to the public," it said.
The organisation also said, "Quikr is also not registered as a pet shop under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, in any state, despite trading in animals."
It alleged that the company displays animals under the guise of adoption, even though PETA India brought animals listed for sale on Quikr to the platform's notice and let it know that the animals being displayed are actually sold via its site offline.
"Animals displayed on Quikr have included goats prior to Eid, a cock be used for illegal fighting, pedigree dogs, and other animals who have been listed for 'adoption' while, in reality, the trader provides the price off-site.
"Quikr has no connection with any animal protection NGO to facilitate the genuine adoption of animals," the organisation said.