27/08/24 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 26 August, animal protection NGO FOUR PAWS recommended putting a stop to the trade in pets, specifically dogs, on Facebook and Instagram, “until a robust solution for full seller and pet traceability is implemented”. Without this, deplores the NGO in a report, “verifying the registration of each advertised dog and ensuring seller traceability is impossible”. An investigation (https://aeur.eu/f/d86 ) carried out by FOUR PAWS has revealed the existence of “a thriving trade of puppies across Europe, breaching [...] EU regulations”. Serious cases of animal cruelty have been revealed. Although 64 suspicious activities were reported by FOUR PAWS, only two were removed by Meta. The EU Council has adopted its position on rules enhancing the welfare of dogs and cats (see EUROPE 13443/21). (LC)