Terms & Conditions

1. The service

AnimalAds.ie is currently operated by its owner as an independent Irish online advertising service. Questions about these Terms may be emailed to hello@animalads.ie or sent through the private contact form.

AnimalAds is not the seller, buyer, breeder, keeper, veterinary adviser, transporter or agent for an advertised animal, item or service. Users arrange any viewing, contract, payment and transfer directly with each other.

AnimalAds does not guarantee that an advert, seller statement, registration, microchip, pedigree, health record or photograph is accurate merely because it appears on the service. A label stating that documents were reviewed means only that the documents presented appeared consistent at the time of review; it is not a welfare, health, ownership or pedigree guarantee.

2. Accounts and eligibility

You must be at least 18, provide accurate current information, keep your account secure and use your own identity and contact details. You may not create replacement accounts after restriction or act for another person without authority.

You must accurately declare whether you are a private individual, trader, registered seller or supplier, Dog Breeding Establishment, charity or other business. A trader must not present as a private seller. AnimalAds may request identity, address, business, payment, registration or licensing evidence and may withhold access while checks are outstanding.

3. Advert standards

Adverts must be lawful, truthful, current, placed in the correct category and use genuine recent photographs of the actual subject. You must own the subject or have written authority to advertise it. Stock, copied, misleading or materially altered images are prohibited.

You must disclose material facts, the full genuine asking price or accurate price basis, seller status, an accurate county or city location and all legally required identification, registration and safety information. You must not enter a false low price to obtain a lower advert fee, then request a different price from a buyer. Prohibited content includes firearms, ammunition, weapons, stolen property, illegal services, unsafe or prohibited animals, deceptive pricing, advance-fee fraud and attempts to evade platform safeguards.

4. Animal advertising

Every animal advertiser also agrees to the Animal Advertising Rules. Those rules form part of these Terms. AnimalAds checks that legally required advert fields and declarations are present, but—with the exception of its manual dog-microchip approval process—does not routinely authenticate passports, movement records, CITES papers or other seller-supplied documents.

The seller remains responsible for the animal, the truth and legality of the advert, ownership or authority to sell, official registrations, records, movement notifications and transfer documentation. The buyer remains responsible for inspecting the animal and original documents and making independent checks before agreeing to acquire it. False seller status, registration details, recycled microchips, concealed commercial activity or misleading information may result in removal, account restriction and referral to a competent authority.

5. Review, reports and enforcement

Animal adverts are not published automatically. AnimalAds may use automated and AI-assisted checks to identify adverts for human review, including suspicious prices, but does not take enforcement action solely because of an automated flag. AnimalAds may request evidence, edit formatting, refuse, suspend or remove adverts and accounts. Deliberate price switching or fee avoidance may lead to advert removal and account suspension. We may preserve relevant records and cooperate with An Garda Síochána, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities, animal-welfare bodies or other lawful authorities.

Users may report suspected illegality, welfare concerns, fraud, a seller requesting a different price, or inaccurate content. Reports must be honest and must not be used to harass competitors. Where required, AnimalAds will provide reasons and an internal route to challenge a moderation decision.

6. Buyer responsibilities and contact

Buyers must make independent checks before acquiring an animal. Meet the animal at its normal premises, see relevant records and, for a puppy, seek to see it with its mother. Confirm identity, ownership, microchip registration, health and seller or establishment registration with the appropriate authority. Do not send money solely because an advert or document appears on AnimalAds.

Telephone and WhatsApp controls facilitate contact only. AnimalAds is not a party to conversations or transactions completed outside the service.

7. Free advertising, future fees, content and availability

Standard adverts are currently provided without charge and no payment card is required. Advert limits apply by account and category, and AnimalAds may refuse combined, duplicate, misleading or commercially excessive use. A free submission does not guarantee approval, publication, enquiries or a transaction.

AnimalAds has not finalised future advertising prices. If paid advertising is introduced, the applicable price will be clearly shown before submission and AnimalAds will give at least 30 days' notice before activating paid checkout. You retain ownership of your content and grant AnimalAds a non-exclusive licence to store, reproduce, resize and display it for operating, securing and promoting the service.

We may change, suspend or withdraw features for security, maintenance, legal or operational reasons. Nothing excludes rights or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that rule, AnimalAds is not responsible for a user's conduct, an animal's condition, a failed transaction or losses caused by reliance on unverified user content.

8. Ending access, changes and Irish law

You may stop using the service and remove eligible adverts. AnimalAds may restrict access for breach, risk, legal requirements or protection of users and animals. Provisions concerning records, licences, liability and disputes survive where appropriate.

Material changes will be dated and notified where required. These Terms are governed by Irish law. Mandatory consumer rights and consumers' jurisdiction rights are not affected.