Gumtree dog sale puppy ads flouting state government laws despite crackdown

Victorians are being warned after hundreds of dogs are still being sold illegally online, despite a state government crackdown.

Jess and Lilly’s mum Kate bought Banjo from a dodgy seller. Picture: Ian Currie

Hundreds of puppies are being sold illegally online despite a state government crackdown, duping unsuspecting buyers.

Many ads are blatantly flouting new laws compelling sellers to list identifying details, some using obviously fake numbers such as “123456”.

Under the law, every ad must include the dog’s or cat’s microchip number and a “source number”, proving the seller has signed up to the Pet Exchange Register.

RSPCA inspector Lisa Calleja said buy-and-sell website Gumtree requires sellers to enter those numbers when selling or giving away a dog or cat, but people evade the requirement.

“It doesn’t mean people don’t put in random numbers that have nothing to do with the animals – that happens a lot,” Ms Calleja said.

Jess, 5, with her pet Banjo. Picture: Ian Currie

“What we see a lot is for people who are trying maybe to be a little bit deceptive in what they’re doing, they’ll just take source numbers off other people’s ads.

“They can also go on other ads and rip off those microchip numbers.”

Animal Welfare Victoria has issued only three fines since the state government introduced the Pet Exchange Register in 2019, despite 6206 complaints.

It has also issued 42 official warnings and 1600 advisory letters and followed up 2031 reports to give advice.

Animal activist Debra Tranter, founder of Oscar’s Law, said she had been reporting illegal ads to the Pet Exchange Register for three years, but they were never taken down.

“The consequences of not enforcing legislation around the Pet Exchange Register are that consumers are still able to purchase animals from unregistered and untraceable breeders with zero chance of any accountability or traceability,” she said.

The RSPCA also regularly investigates people illegally selling sick animals without disclosing the condition.

“It happens all the time – purchase a puppy, it gets really sick in a day or two. They take it to the vet. Sometimes it can be extremely unwell … and the puppy might even pass away,” Ms Calleja said.

The online ad falsely claimed Banjo was vaccinated and microchipped.

Mentone mum “Kate” (not her real name) was duped by a Gumtree ad for a purebred kelpie from a farmer falsely claiming the puppy was microchipped and vaccinated.

“The ad looked totally legit,” she said.

“It was really well-written. It looked like it was a great breeder.”

It was only after Kate paid $500 cash and asked for documentation that the seller admitted Banjo was not microchipped or vaccinated – and gave $50 back.

“I told the vet and he said they get this all the time,” she said.

The ad’s “source number” proved to be false.

Luckily, Banjo turned out to be “the best dog ever”, but Kate is urging others to do their homework first if buying a puppy online, or rehome an unwanted dog.

Ms Calleja said the new state laws had been extremely effective in reducing animal welfare issues, but many sellers viewed source and microchip numbers as merely administrative.

“We do need to educate a lot of people in the community,” she said.

A spokesman for the state government said it worked closely with online sales platforms to remove illegal ads as quickly as possible.

But he urged Victorians to do their research to ensure they buy from a reputable breeder.

Gumtree did not respond to requests for comment.