Tips for Identifying Licensed Animal Traders

When searching for popular breeds of cats and dogs on search engines, you may occasionally come across sponsored advertisements claiming to offer a variety of local kittens and puppies for sale. If you click on the three dots to the right of the URL in the advertisement, you can see the name of the advertiser. You may also find that the store posting the advertisement is not located in Hong Kong.

The origin of pets from these types of online stores are very suspicious. These stores and sellers can disappear at any time. Members of the public should verify with the seller whether they hold a valid licence issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and confirm the source of the pet. If in doubt, it is best to avoid patronising such online shops to prevent inadvertently supporting animal smuggling.

In addition, the license regulations allow licensed individuals to post advertisements for selling dogs online, but their advertisement must include the license number. Buyers can call the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong at 2150 7077 to check if the license is still valid.