PETA India has called on e-commerce sites -- OLX and Quikr -- to end the sale of live animals, saying this kind of trade treats them as unfeeling commodities and puts them at risk of being purchased by abusive people.
A statement issued by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Wednesday said that online portals, OLX and Quikr allow users including "unscrupulous breeders who illegally sell underage puppies" and violate other animal welfare regulations.
The animal rights' body has sent letters, calling on both websites to join Amazon, eBay and Locanto in banning the online sale of animals.
"By allowing the sale of animals on their Indian websites and treating them as unfeeling commodities, OLX and Quikr are putting them at risk of being purchased by abusive people or impulse shoppers who are simply not prepared to provide them with lifelong care," said PETA India Senior Corporate Liaison Ajay Welinkar.
"PETA India is calling on these portals to protect animals by adopting the same ban on live animal sales that Amazon and Craigslist have," he said.
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Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 2017, it is illegal to sell puppies less than eight weeks old.
"The Indian law also prohibits the import of dogs into the country for commercial activities such as breeding, yet some Quikr users sell ones described as having "imported" parents or lineage," PETA said.
--IANS
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