Terms of Service

Last updated: August 2026. By using PetTrader.co.uk you agree to these terms.

1. Your account

You must be 18 or over to create an account. Keep your login details secure and give accurate information. One person or business, one account. You confirm your age and accept these terms when you create an account.

2. Our role

PetTrader is an advertising platform. We are not a party to any sale, adoption or service booking arranged through the site, and we do not own, inspect or handle the animals advertised. Contracts are between buyer and seller.

3. Listing rules

• Advertise only animals you legally own or are authorised to rehome.
• Use accurate descriptions, real photographs of the actual animal, and correct ages and dates.
• Comply with UK law, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and Lucy's Law — licensed breeders must display their licence details.
• No banned breeds, no illegally imported animals, no endangered species without documentation.
• No pets offered "free to a good home" as a way to avoid checks; no misleading pricing.
• No duplicate adverts for the same animal and no advertising of services outside the directory.
• Dog adverts must include the animal's microchip number where the dog is old enough to be chipped, as required by UK law.
• Adverts run for 60 days and are then archived; you can relist at any time.

Breeders and businesses are also covered by our business listing terms, which explain ranking, verification and notice periods.

3a. Species rules and legal declarations

Before an advert is published you must accept our posting declarations. These confirm you are the legal owner or breeder, that all photos are your own and of the actual animal, that handover happens in person (never by courier or sight unseen), and that you comply with all licensing law that applies to you.

• Dogs: minimum 8 weeks old, sold by the breeder from the place of birth with the mother present, microchipped and registered before sale. Banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 are not permitted.
• Cats: minimum 8 weeks old, sold with the mother present, microchipped and registered before transfer.
• Rabbits and small animals: fully weaned and independent — rabbits at least 8 weeks; sociable species should be homed in pairs or groups.
• Birds: fully weaned and self-feeding; CITES Annex A species require a valid Article 10 certificate; no illegally taken wild birds.
• Reptiles: captive bred and feeding reliably; CITES paperwork and Dangerous Wild Animals Act licences must be valid and held by both parties.
• Fish: no listed invasive alien species and no unauthorised wild-caught native fish.
• Horses and equines: valid passport and microchip required, passport handed over at sale and transferred within 30 days; foals not to leave the mare before weaning.

Anyone breeding three or more litters in 12 months, or breeding or selling animals as a business, must hold a local authority licence and display the licence number, issuing council and star rating. We may report false declarations to the relevant local authority.

4. Fees and payments

Advert fees and subscription prices are shown on the pricing page and are charged in GBP through Stripe. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled from your dashboard. Advert fees are non-refundable once an advert has been published, except where required by law or where a technical fault prevented publication.

5. Removal and suspension

We may edit, hide or remove any advert and suspend accounts that break these rules, without refund where the breach is serious or repeated.

6. Content licence

You keep ownership of the photographs and text you upload, and grant us a licence to display and promote them on the site and in our marketing while your advert is live.

7. Liability

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for losses arising from transactions between users, the health or condition of any animal, or the services of any listed business. Nothing here limits liability for death, personal injury or fraud caused by us.

8. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

9. Complaints

Our complaints and dispute process, including response times and where to escalate, is set out on the complaints page.

Questions? Use the contact page. See also our privacy policy and safety guide.