A lamb is not just for lockdown: Charities criticise animal sellers
Facebook ads sell animals as perfect self-isolation pets for £10
Animal welfare charities have criticised people advertising lambs for sale as pets for locked-down Scots.
Pictures of the farm animals have appeared in posts on Facebook, with potential buyers told: “Pet lambs £10 each. Perfect company when in self-isolation.” The pictures were obtained by the charity OneKind which has expressed concern. It said the practice was potentially a “very wide-ranging problem” which “needed to be confronted”. The Scottish SPCA has also received reports of lambs being sold as pets on social media. Images of lambs inside pens were posted on Facebook by people living in Aberdeenshire. Another post said: “Pet lambs for sale, £10 each. Please share.”
The sale of animals on Facebook is prohibited and the photos have since been removed.
Eve Massie, of OneKind, said: “We are very concerned to see lambs bred for the animal agriculture industry being sold as self-isolation pets for just £10 on Facebook. Thousands of animals have been bred for sale through retail outlets and online, but they can’t be sold due to restrictions on travel and personal contact.
“The first principle is that everyone has a legal duty of care for their animals and they absolutely must observe that. OneKind would like to see further industry and government guidance, and support where necessary, so that animals do not suffer unnecessarily due to the current crisis.”
Mike Flynn, Scottish SPCA chief superintendent, said that lambs were “completely unsuited” to being kept as pets and “should not be exploited” to give people company while they are social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak. He added: “We’ve received reports of lambs being sold on Facebook as pets. Despite what a seller may claim, they do not make perfect pets for self-isolation. These lambs should still be looked after by their mothers and will require dedicated care from someone with livestock experience.
“Lambs grow into adult sheep requiring adequate space, livestock veterinary treatment and specialist care. They cannot be kept in a home environment.”
Flynn urged people with information on lambs being sold as pets to call the Scottish SPCA’s helpline on 03000 999 999. “All calls will be treated with the strictest confidence,” he added.
Facebook said: “Our commerce policies prohibit the sale of animals on Facebook and we will remove content when it is reported to us. We encourage users to report any content they feel doesn’t belong on our platform.”