DoneDeal has temporarily suspended ads for dog sales on its website after a massive spike in dognappings nationwide.
The move comes after pooch thefts soared by a staggering 50% in the past two years, according to the Department of Justice.
There were 145 reported thefts in 2018 before it rocketed to 210 last year.
But despite the removal, DoneDeal has said the section won't be moved permanently, as it may "push activity offline and lead to reduced transparency when it comes to advertising dogs”.
In a statement, the company said: “DoneDeal works closely with several animal welfare groups including the ISPCA and Department of Agriculture in order to comply with legislation and meet the standards set out by bodies such as IPAAG (The Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group), of which we are a member.
“DoneDeal take our responsibilities as an advertising platform very seriously and will continue to introduce measures to further improve animal welfare and advertising transparency in Ireland.
“As we work on further solutions to improve animal welfare and in light of unprecedented demand in Ireland we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend the dogs section from 7th August 2020.
“Unfortunately we believe removing the section may push activity offline and lead to reduced transparency when it comes to advertising dogs.”
The website also encouraged users to report any false or misleading advertisements to the customer service team, Dublin Live reports.
The move was praised by animal welfare group My Lovely Horse Rescue.
The charity said on Facebook: “Happy to report that DoneDeal have made the decision to temporarily suspend the dogs section.
“They have taken the concerns of Animal Welfare Organisations on board and have seen the demand and the cruelty during Covid.
“THANK YOU DONEDEAL for listening and being proactive.”
