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Note: In the interest of animal welfare we do not allow pets to be sold within 8 weeks of being born.

The Following animals or animal products are forbidden on SellFree.net:

  • Protected animals (alive or stuffed)
  • Animals you need a license for when keeping them
  • Reptiles
  • Insects
  • Farm animals (e.g., cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc.)
  • Feed animals
  • Breeding animals
  • Animals that come from breeding
  • Breeding of defects (e.g. hybrid cats)
  • Mutilated animals
  • Pregnant animals
  • Training collars
  • Pest control
  • Pet food

Although the sale of living creatures is generally prohibited, there are separate regulations for offering and selling pets in United Kingdom and you must comply with the following rules:

  • All adverts for animals must be accompanied by a recent photo of the animal offered.
  • The description or the picture of the pet should be chosen wisely and with respect.
  • The buyer needs to be informed about the age, diseases or any kind of abnormal characteristics of the pet.
  • Advertisers classed as carrying on a business of breeding dogs for sale within the terms of the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act must be appropriately licenced.
  • We do not accept advertisements for Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero, crosses of these breeds, or other dogs of the type controlled under current UK Dangerous Dogs legislation. We also reserve the right to decline advertisements where we have reason to suspect that a dog is a prohibited type or has the potential to be dangerous, either based on the appearance of the animal or wording of the advert.

Furthermore, the following points are prohibited when selling a pet:

  • Offering, requesting or confirming postal deliveries or the street sales of pets.
  • Selling pregnant animals.
  • Exchanging animals for other animals.
  • Selling protected species and compounds without the necessary documents. For more information, have a look at https://www.cites.org/.
  • Selling exotic, dangerous and poisonous animals.
  • Selling pets with any controversial surgeries which are not mandatory for the pet’s health (e.g. ear-cropping, tail docking, devocalization, claws or teeth removal). Requesting such surgeries is strictly prohibited.
  • Selling imported pets.
  • Selling pets for slaughter or experiments or as live food.
  • Professional breeding without any approval from an administrative authority.
  • Selling of multiple different species or selling pets in huge quantities, as this conflicts with the proper treatment of animals.
  • Selling pets before they reach an appropriate age. The minimum age for puppies is 12 weeks and for kittens 12 weeks or older.
  • Selling pets to users younger than 18 years.
  • Selling wolf hybrids.
  • Selling dogs without indication of the registration number. In cases where registration has not yet been made, the puppy’s mother’s registration number must be indicated.

Users selling pets are obliged to obtain information about the legal regulations and are forced to comply with these. Further information regarding the sale of living pets and animal welfare can be found here https://paag.org.uk/.

  • We do not accept adverts for dogs trained as guard dogs or trained to be aggressive, or dogs listed for working or hunting purposes alone. 
  • Animals listed within Annex A of the CITES endangered species list must be sold with a valid Article 10 certificate. This includes certain species of parrot, parakeet, cockatoo and tortoise. Its presence, along with a valid Article 10 certificate number, must be stated in the advert.
  • We do not accept advertisements for birds of prey that have not been appropriately registered or licensed. Please contact us to provide appropriate proof.
  • We do not accept advertisements for any breed of meerkats, genets or monkeys.
  • We do not accept any adverts for seahorses (either live or curios).
  • We do not accept advertisements for animals controlled under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
  • We do not accept advertisements of wild caught animals.
  • We do not accept advertisements for dogs with docked tails born after April 2007, with the exception of working breeds as defined in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Any docked working breeds must state that a vet’s certificate is available to verify the docking was done legally. This restriction includes animals born outside England and Wales.
  • We do not allow the advertisement of dogs that have clipped or cropped ears.
  • We do not accept adverts for dogs advertised as suitable for illegal activities such as dog fighting and hare coursing.
  • Live vertebrates are not to be delivered through the postal system or by courier service, national or international.
  • We do not allow animals to be advertised as “gifts”, especially in reference to special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.
  • We do not allow animals to be advertised as “urgent” or “must-go” as this creates urgency that may result in an animal going to an unsuitable home.
  • We do not allow live animals to be advertised as pet food.
  • We do not allow the buying or selling of any animals located outside the UK, or the selling of animals overseas.
  • We do not allow the sale of horses, ponies or donkeys without a passport.
  • We do not accept advertisements for animals to be swapped.
  • It is illegal for an animal to be purchased by someone under 16 years of age. However, we do not allow children under the age of 18 to advertise in our pets or livestock categories as we feel this is more responsible. Sellers should make all practical enquiries to ensure that purchasers on SellFree.net are over the age of 18.
  • Every purchaser must comply with the duty of care obligations to an animal as specified under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
  • In order to meet PAAG minimum standards, we reserve the right to prevent advertisers placing animal adverts based on their account activity
  • Advertisers classed as carrying on a business of running a pet shop within the terms set out by the government must be appropriately licenced and require SellFree.net Business membership
  • We do not accept advertisements for puppies for sale under a pet shop licence alone. Only those with a valid dog breeding licence can advertise multiple litters of puppies on SellFree.net.
  • As of April 6th 2016, all dogs must be microchipped in order to be advertised on SellFree.net as defined by The Microchipping of Dogs Regulations across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
  • SellFree.net reserves the right to refuse, suspend or ban any member who they believe is acting in an irresponsible way.

For more information see:

Animal Cruelty

  • Ads have contents that promotes cruelty or gratuitous violence towards animals e.g, promoting animal cruelty for entertainment purposes, such as cock or dog fighting 
  • Ads have contents that may be interpreted as trading in, or selling products derived from, threatended or extinct species e.g., sale of tigers, shark fins, elephant ivory, tiger skins, rhino hoorn, dolphin oil

Animal and Wildlife Products

Some animal and wildlife products (including taxidermy) are permitted for trade on SellFree.net, but there are others which are not based on their animal origin.

SellFree.net allow adverts for the following:

  • Animal parts, pelts or skin from non-endangered species may be listed on SellFree.net (apart from cats and dogs), if not in breach of local laws.
  • Trade in CITES Annex B species is legal provided the formalities of the law are complied with including obtaining important and export permits. Please review CITES guidance on imports and exports for further information.
  • Faux productions of animal products can be sold. Items must be clearly listed as faux in the title and description.

SellFree.net do not allow adverts for the following:

  • Animal parts from animal species listed in Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (for UK) or Schedules to the Wildlife Act 1976 and Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 (for Ireland) unless the seller has documentation proving the animal was not taken from the wild.
  • Any animal part from an endangered species which is listed in Annex A of the European Wildlife Regulations which implements CITES within the EU. Please see here for further information.
  • Eggs from wild birds regardless of age and condition.

Ivory and Bone Products

Due to depletions in global populations of vulnerable ivory producing species, SellFree.net does not allow adverts for any products made from ivory and bone.

Although there are exceptions, most ivory and bone products have various international trade restrictions. Due to demands of the ivory market, many species from which the ivory is harvested are endangered or protected. Visit IFAW or WWF for more information about global ivory trade.

SellFree.net allow adverts for the following:

  • Pre-1947 pianos and furniture with ivory elements. Must be advertised with proof of age from an antiques expert
  • Man-made ivory including vegetable ivory and French ivory. The material of the item must be clearly stated in the advert
  • Bone from non-ivory producing animals (e.g. bison, buffalo, and oxen). The animal origin must be stated clearly on the advert
  • Fossilised bone. The species and origin must be listed clearly on the advert

SellFree.net does not allow adverts for the following:

  • Any items made from real ivory and bones from ivory producing species. This includes:
    • Elephants
    • Walruses
    • Sperm and Killer whales
    • Narwhals
    • Hippopotamus
    • Wart hog