Cats and dogs: regulated advertising

Selling pets between private individuals is commonplace on classified ad sites. However, many sellers fail to comply with the regulations. Let's not forget that these are, above all, living creatures.

The aim of these regulations is to protect animals: a number of private individuals earn extra income by breeding animals without having premises that comply with health and animal protection regulations. These undeclared and unsuitable breeding operations can prove catastrophic: death of the animals, inbreeding, disease, etc. All dramatic situations that must be avoided. The aim of these regulations is also to encourage private individuals to have their animals sterilised: shelters are overloaded and animals are abandoned on a regular basis.

Thanks to this number, the buyer can easily trace the animal back to the breeder.

The mandatory SIREN number

Today, a private individual who gives birth to a puppy or kitten is considered to be a breeder, and must therefore declare his or her activity to the Chamber of Agriculture in his or her region. This procedure will enable the person concerned to obtain a SIREN number. This number is now mandatory for placing a classified ad, whether on a website or in a paper publication.

A real advantage for the buyer

Thanks to this number, the buyer can easily trace the breeder and find out all the information about his farm (contact details, name, etc.). So it's much easier to find out how serious the breeder is. It's also a real traceability tool.

Placing an ad: precise information to be provided

The regulations require the seller to be able to provide the following information when placing an ad:

• Its SIREN number
• The number of animals in the litter of the animal(s) sold
• The identification number of the animal(s) or that of its dam
• Registration or non-registration in a herd book
• The age of the animal(s), which must be over 8 weeks old

Finalizing the sale: Don't forget certain documents

When the sale is concluded, the seller must provide the buyer with :

• A certificate of transfer
• A veterinary certificate
• A document identifying the animal
• An information document describing the animal's needs and characteristics

We recommend the use of a secure payment method such as Obvy, which enables us to store information relating to the transaction.

Strong penalties

If you don't comply with the regulations, there are real consequences for you as a private seller:

• 3 years' imprisonment and €45,000 fine for using a false SIREN number
• 7,500 fine for failing to provide a SIREN number
• 750 fine for failure to provide compulsory information on advertisements

It is therefore highly advisable to do everything possible to comply with the regulations in order to avoid these various penalties. It should also be noted that attempts to circumvent the regulations are very often identified, and that effective monitoring has been put in place to prevent fraud.

Exceptions

In some cases, private individuals do not have to comply with these regulations to the letter:

• Private individuals who sell no more than one litter of pedigree dogs per year, who must nevertheless continue to register the litter in the herd book and must publish the litter number with the sale advertisement.
• Private individuals who resell a dog they have bought